You are here

American Government
Share
Share

American Government
Stories of a Nation

Fourth Edition


December 2022 | 640 pages | CQ Press
American government is not just one story—it's many stories. Our stories. And they are still being told.

In the Fourth Edition of American Government: Stories of a Nation, author Scott F. Abernathy tunes in to the voices of all Americans, showing how our diverse ideas shape the way we participate and behave, the laws we live by, and the challenges we face. His storytelling approach brings the core concepts of government to life, making them meaningful and memorable, and allows all students to see themselves reflected in the pages. Participation is at the heart of this groundbreaking text, with ample background on how we participate and why.

Not only will all students see themselves reflected in the pages, but they will come to understand that they, too, are strategic players in American politics, with voices that matter.
 
Chapter 1. American Political Stories: Claiming Rights, Demanding to Be Heard
 
Chapter 2. The Constitution of the United States: A New Vision of Representative Government
 
Chapter 3. Federalism: The Changing Boundaries between the Nation and the States
 
Chapter 4. Civil Liberties: Building and Defending Fences
 
Chapter 5. Civil Rights: How Equal is Equal?
 
Chapter 6. Political Participation: Carry That Weight
 
Chapter 7. Public Opinion: How Are Americans’ Voices Measured, and Do They Matter?
 
Chapter 8. The Media: Truth, Trust, and Power
 
Chapter 9. Political Parties: The Insurgents versus the Establishment
 
Chapter 10. Campaigns and Elections: Candidates and Voters in a Time of Uncertainty and Change
 
Chapter 11. Interest Groups and Social Movements: Collective Action, Power, and Representation
 
Chapter 12. Congress: Representation, Organization, and Legislation
 
Chapter 13. The American Presidency: Individuals, Institutions, and Power
 
Chapter 14. The Federal Bureaucracy: Putting the Nation’s Laws into Effect
 
Chapter 15. The Federal Judiciary: Politics, Power, and the “Least Dangerous” Branch
 
Chapter 16. Domestic Public Policy: The Politics of Promoting the General Welfare
 
Chapter 17. Economic Policy: Representing Americans’ Financial Interests
 
Chapter 18. Foreign Policy: Advancing American Interests in an Uncertain and Changing World
 
Appendixes
 
Glossary
 
Notes
 
Index

Supplements

Instructor Resource Site
For additional information, custom options, or to request a personalized walkthrough of these resources, please contact your sales representative

LMS cartridge included with this title for use in Blackboard, Canvas, Brightspace by Desire2Learn (D2L), and Moodle

The LMS cartridge makes it easy to import this title's instructor resources into your learning management system (LMS). These resources include:
  • Test banks
  • Editable chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides
  • Sample course syllabi
  • Lecture notes
  • All tables and figures rom the textbook
Don’t use an LMS platform?
You can still access the online resources for this title via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site.

The careful, deliberate, and inclusive approach of American Government: Stories of a Nation does more than any other text to ensure that all students see themselves as part of the narrative of American government and political culture. As a result, all of my students are more engaged with the material and in class discussion.

Andrew Civettini
Knox College

One of my goals in teaching American Government is to shrink the distance my students feel between themselves and their government. American Government: Stories of a Nation is the best textbook I have found to help me do this. Each chapter contains just the right balance of historical and contemporary narrative to show students that they are part of a story that has been unfolding for more than two-hundred years. Abernathy is a storyteller, but he is also a political scientist, and I appreciate his commitment to tell the American story with solid research from the field.

Jonathan Peterson
North Park University