This book is amazing. The reason why I am now a political science major. It is the book that my government teacher assigned in high school, and has thus shaped my opinions towards the constitution and our political system today. It offers a great dichotomy between classic works (such as the federalist papers) and contemporary classics (such as Robert Putnam's 'Bowling Alone'). I would recommend this book to anyone interested in politics or looking to be....

This book presents a strong defense for representative democracy. It argues that not only is representative democracy the best option available, but that much of the criticisms of the the legislative branch is based on inaccurate perceptions.
The public has become less trustful of government. Polls show about 75% of the public during the 1960s trusted government. In 1973, 42% of those polled had "a great deal" or "quite a bit" of confidence in Congress, In mid-2001, 26% stated that had a "great deal" or "quite a bit" of confidence in Congress.
The public distaste for politics along with the mean spiritedness of campaigns discourages many capable people from even entering politics. Further, many who do select public service as a career are finding the burdens of service are causing them to leave public careers prematurely. The loss of dedicated public servants weakens the legislative process as well as reduces the public image of legislatures.
While the public may be disillusioned with representative democracy, and while politicians may similarly have reservations, the alternatives are no better. The authors argue that the option of Executive dominance can lead to concentrated and abused power. The alternative of direct democracy may be cumbersomely unpractical and may be more readily manipulated by powerful interests.
Negative campaign advertising is cited as a major influence in the declining appreciation and respect for politics and for government. Political scientist Richard Fenno has found that negative campaigning is further affecting government, as candidates are elected by claiming their opposition to the institutions to which they seek eleciton and, upon election, their negativity hampers their abilities to serve in office.
The authors note the very nature of legislative politics is bound to create negative public perceptions. Most legislation that is passed reflects compromises and the mere act of compromising often leads proponents and opponents both feeling disappointed. Legislative work thus usually wins few friends, yet it produces important results.
Despite its complexities and nuances, representative democracy does work. The legislative branch does a good job of bridging the gap between the public and policy makers. The alternative of administrative control concentrates power too much and the alternative of direct participation is too cumbersome. Representative democracy may not be perfect, as this book discusses, but it is the best system there is. Readers wishing to explore these discussions will greatly appreciate this book.

This book offers a foundation for political concepts and historic background about the U.S. Using standard survey course format, the author skims the broad topics of government from the core documents, including the Declaration and the Constitution, to the general structures and processes of governing. While I must conclude with a prior reviewer that the writing is unexciting, I have yet to find THE basic government text equivalent of "Democracy - Not 4 Dummies"

American Government covered everything and anything on politics. I could not have asked for a better introduction on politics! It covered everything from the US Constitution to interest groups and the bureaucracy. If you are interested in politics, but need a simple, solid introduction, this book is for you! However, I found the book was difficult to read, as it was poorly written and tedious at times. Although this book is probably the best intro to Government around, do not buy it if you have a short attention span.

A trully remarkable text book! This text strives where many fail, in communicating with students from AP level high school to Doctoral studies. Includded are full color diagrams on the political process, governmental structure dating back to the 1600s. Also, philisophical viewpoints from Plato to John Locke. The benefit of the text, is its current up-to-date information on the 'insides' of political views and parties. This text would assist anyone in learning about our nations history and government.

I had the opportunity to read this book about interest group politics for a college class. The book provides not only information about interest groups and PACs, but several essays about influencial groups such as the NRA. This is a must read for anyone intersted in politics!