What’s New in the Eighth Brief Edition
These are strange days in American politics. We have tried to deal with that strangeness bluntly, objectively and clearly. We are in a “moment.” Whether that moment becomes the “new normal” or remains a historical blip, we have no way of knowing. Writing about it in real time, we take it as it comes. We are political scientists, not magicians, and thus have a hard bias toward the scientific, the empirical, the observable. Distinguishing between truth and falsity is central to what we do. We can make projections and predictions but our crystal ball has been particularly hazy lately and we make no pretense of knowing the future.
The 2016 election only exacerbated divisions that have been building for decades, the product of economic displacement, demographic change and a widening gap between those with college educations and those without. Some days it really does feel like there are two Americas, and the challenge of writing a textbook for both of them has been heavy at times. We have worked hard to explain the nature of our ideological divisions as objectively as possible, and I suspect we have ruffled a few feathers, including our own. That’s as it should be. No one likes to be described as a statistic or a faceless member of a demographic group or have opinions ascribed to them that they may not even knowingly hold, or may actively reject. It’s a good thing if this book inspires debate, disagreement, and discovery.
Ideological polarization is not the only characteristic of American politics that has been a challenge to deal with in this edition. We have a president who likes the limelight and, love him or hate him (it’s hard to be indifferent), he delights in shattering the norms that underlie the rules of American politics. Indeed, that is his appeal to many Americans who would like to see the system turned upside down. That means we have had to be more careful about focusing on those norms and explaining the roles they play in supporting the Constitution, so that we can fully understand the consequences as we decide whether they matter.
Finally, as we say later in this book, if we have a bias it is unquestionably toward diversity, toward the whole crazy salad of Americans. We can’t write effectively for our students unless they can see themselves mirrored in the pages. This book has to belong to them, and so we have deplored the movement to return to an America where women, people of color, immigrants, members of the LGBTQ community, and other minority groups are marginalized. In the last two years some Americans have felt more free to voice disparaging or degrading remarks about members of all those groups. We reject that view.
Writing the eighth brief edition also gave us an opportunity to revitalize the book’s theme to reflect the influences of modern technology on power and citizenship, in particular the ways that citizenship is mediated by third parties. To do that, we looked at the ways that controlling the political narrative has translated into political power and how that power has shifted with the advent of new and social media. This coverage is integrated throughout each chapter and is especially notable in the Citizens and . . . sections and the Don’t Be Fooled by . . . boxes’ focus on digital media.
Reviews for this edition helped guide some key changes that we hope will make the text even more useful to you and your students. We have sought to streamline both the main narrative and its features to provide a more focused reading experience. New What’s at Stake . . . ? vignettes examine such topics as the activism of the students of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, the rise of the alt right and the Make America Great Again movement, the appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court amidst discord in Congress, what happens when outsiders challenge party establishment, the consequences of overturning executive action on climate change, and Donald Trump’s presidency. One new Profiles in Citizenship interview appears in this edition — we had the opportunity to interview Senator Tammy Duckworth before the 2018 midterms.
Digital Resources
We know how important good resources can be in the teaching of American government. Our goal has been to create resources that not only support but also enhance the text’s themes and features. SAGE edge offers a robust online environment featuring an impressive array of tools and resources for review, study, and further exploration, keeping both instructors and students on the cutting edge of teaching and learning. SAGE edge content is open access and available on demand. Learning and teaching has never been easier! We gratefully acknowledge Graphic World and Alicia Fisher of California State University, Fullerton for developing the digital resources for this site.
Sage Course Outcomes: Measure Results, Track Success
The journey to retaining and applying course content differs for every student. To successfully navigate this journey, course goals should remain clear, consistent, and constructive. For instructors, the ability to track and measure individual progress is vital to ensuring student success.
SAGE | CQ Press is invested in mapping measurable course outcomes to chapter-level learning objectives for all introductory textbook offerings through SAGE course outcomes. Each title is crafted with specific course outcomes in mind, vetted by leading advisors in the field, and adapted from renowned syllabi from across the country.
Students Benefit
A clear path for learners: Understanding the objectives for each chapter and how those objectives are tied to the goals of the course is essential for getting the grade students want.
Meaningful context for skills: Course outcomes emphasize the skills learned in the course and highlight how they can be applied in the real world after graduation.
More targeted instruction: Students receive better, more targeted feedback when instructors can track and measure individual progress based on course-specific expectations.
Instructors Benefit
Effective measuring mechanism: Being able to track student progress allows you to more easily pinpoint specific areas of improvement, increases course efficacy, allows you to report out on success, and aligns student learning with course and institutional goals.
Personalized instruction and feedback: Promoting student success through targeted and individualized instruction improves retention and increases the likelihood of achieving course mastery.
Standardized benchmarking: Formative and summative assessment is more effective and actionable when assessing student progress against standard course outcome benchmarks.
Course Outcomes for American Government:
✔ ARTICULATE the foundations of American government, including its history, critical concepts, and important documents and achievements.
✔ EXPLAIN the main institutions of American government, including their roles and interrelationships.
✔ DESCRIBE the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.
✔ ANALYZE the development and impact of important governmental policies.
Instructor Resources
SAGE Coursepacks and SAGE edge online resources are included FREE with this text. For a brief demo, contact your sales
