Guided by the belief that readers must first understand the origins of American government to fully understand the issues facing the United States today, this market-leading text offers the strongest coverage of both history and current events of any college textbook devoted to American politics.

From hallmark features like “The Living Constitution” to new features like the illustrated historical timelines, Essentials of American Government: Continuity and Change provides the historical context readers need to understand our government and the most crucial and controversial issues affecting the nation in the 21st century. This Essentials edition includes the coverage found in the comprehensive version of the text but in a condensed format.

This bestselling book has been extensively revised to provide in-depth coverage of the 2008 presidential and congressional elections, President George W. Bush’s second administration and the 110^th Congress, continued controversies related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terrorism, and domestic concerns related to rising gas and food prices and the subprime mortgage crisis.

I. FOUNDATIONS OF GOVERNMENT.

1. The Political Landscape.

2. The Constitution.

3. Federalism.

4. Civil Liberties.

5. Civil Rights.

II. INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT.

6. Congress.

7. The Presidency.

8. The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy.

9. The Judiciary.

III. POLITICAL BEHAVIOR.

10. Public Opinion and the News Media.

11. Political Parties and Interest Groups.

12. Campaigns, Elections, and Voting.

13. Domestic and Economic Policy.

14. Foreign and Defense Policy.

This textbook is also sold in the various packages listed below. Before purchasing one of these packages, speak with your professor about which one will help you be successful in your course.

Package ISBN-13: 9780205701346

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This package contains:

Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2009 Edition, 9th Edition
Karen O'Connor, Larry J. Sabato, Alixandra B. Yanus | ©2009 | Paper; 528 pages
MyPoliSciLab with E-Book Student Access Code Card (for valuepacks)
Teacher Education Pearson | ©2009 | Access Code Card

Package ISBN-13: 9780205707614

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This package contains:

Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2009 Edition, 9th Edition
Karen O'Connor, Larry J. Sabato, Alixandra B. Yanus | ©2009 | Paper; 528 pages
MyPoliSciLab Resources for Blackboard/WebCT Student Access Code Card for American Government (for valuepacks)
Pearson Longman | ©2007 | Access Card Package

Package ISBN-13: 9780205640959

$107.53 | Add to Cart

This package contains:

Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2009 Edition, 9th Edition
Karen O'Connor, Larry J. Sabato, Alixandra B. Yanus | ©2009 | Paper; 528 pages
Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America (Great Questions in Politics Series), 2nd Edition
Morris P. Fiorina, Samuel J. Abrams, Jeremy C. Pope | ©2006 | Paper; 256 pages

Package ISBN-13: 9780205716685

$100.20 | Add to Cart

This package contains:

Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2009 Edition, 9th Edition
Karen O'Connor, Larry J. Sabato, Alixandra B. Yanus | ©2009 | Paper; 528 pages
California (Longman State Politics) (Valuepack Item Only), 7th Edition
Pam Fiber | ©2010 | Paper; 144 pages

Package ISBN-13: 9780205761678

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This package contains:

Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2009 Edition, 9th Edition
Karen O'Connor, Larry J. Sabato, Alixandra B. Yanus | ©2009 | Paper; 528 pages
American Government: Readings and Cases, 18th Edition
Peter Woll | ©2010 | Paper; 464 pages

Package ISBN-13: 9780205701797

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This package contains:

Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2009 Edition, 9th Edition
Karen O'Connor, Larry J. Sabato, Alixandra B. Yanus | ©2009 | Paper; 528 pages
First 100 Days Workbook, The
Tony R Robinson | ©2009 | Paper; 192 pages

Package ISBN-13: 9780205668205

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This package contains:

Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2009 Edition, 9th Edition
Karen O'Connor, Larry J. Sabato, Alixandra B. Yanus | ©2009 | Paper; 528 pages
Diversity in Contemporary American Politics and Government
David A. Dulio, Erin O'Brien, John S. Klemanski | ©2009 | Paper; 368 pages

Package ISBN-13: 9780205799398

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This package contains:

Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2009 Edition, 9th Edition
Karen O'Connor, Larry J. Sabato, Alixandra B. Yanus | ©2009 | Paper; 528 pages
You Decide! Current Debates in American Politics, 2010 Edition, 7th Edition
John T. Rourke | ©2010 | Paper; 320 pages

Package ISBN-13: 9780205767601

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This package contains:

Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2009 Edition, 9th Edition
Karen O'Connor, Larry J. Sabato, Alixandra B. Yanus | ©2009 | Paper; 528 pages

Package ISBN-13: 9780205707577

$104.20 | Add to Cart

This package contains:

Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2009 Edition, 9th Edition
Karen O'Connor, Larry J. Sabato, Alixandra B. Yanus | ©2009 | Paper; 528 pages

Package ISBN-13: 9780205833900

$104.20 | Add to Cart

This package contains:

Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2009 Edition, 9th Edition
Karen O'Connor, Larry J. Sabato, Alixandra B. Yanus | ©2009 | Paper; 528 pages

Package ISBN-13: 9780205761357

$100.97 | Add to Cart

This package contains:

Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2009 Edition, 9th Edition
Karen O'Connor, Larry J. Sabato, Alixandra B. Yanus | ©2009 | Paper; 528 pages
Is Voting for Young People? With a Postscript on Citizen Engagement (Great Questions in Politics Series), 2nd Edition
Martin P. Wattenberg | ©2008 | Paper; 224 pages

Package ISBN-13: 9780205726950

$104.20 | Add to Cart

This package contains:

Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2009 Edition, 9th Edition
Karen O'Connor, Larry J. Sabato, Alixandra B. Yanus | ©2009 | Paper; 528 pages
MyPoliSciLab Resources for Blackboard/WebCT Student Access Code Card for American Government (for valuepacks)
Pearson Longman | ©2007 | Access Card Package

Package ISBN-13: 9780205703777

$115.53 | Add to Cart

This package contains:

Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2009 Edition, 9th Edition
Karen O'Connor, Larry J. Sabato, Alixandra B. Yanus | ©2009 | Paper; 528 pages
Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America (Great Questions in Politics Series), 2nd Edition
Morris P. Fiorina, Samuel J. Abrams, Jeremy C. Pope | ©2006 | Paper; 256 pages