Democracy Under Pressure: An Introduction to the American Political System : Brief Edition (Democracy Under Pressure: Election Update) - Softcover

"I've used just about very text for the introduction to American government course. . . . The clarity, style, content, and pedagogy of Democracy Under Pressure ranks with the best of them - especially the grace of writing. It is far livelier than one usually finds in such text."

This volume gives a comprehensive look at the fundamentals of American government. It conveys a balanced, realistic sense of political history and describes the institutions of American government. Throughout, the authors examine the theme of democracy under pressure, discussing the way democracy responds to the needs and demands of various groups over time. The text is developed around a systems approach - a framework of analysis that discusses various elements of the political process in terms of inputs and outputs - and focuses on the gap that exists between theory and reality in government today. This new edition has been updated to include the results of the 2002 congressional elections and other recent events of importance to the American political scene.