With an emphasis on causal questions and an integrated, comparative perspective, Understanding American Politics and Government, 2nd edition, equips students with the fundamental tools used by social scientists to question our world and view it critically - as a truly educated, effective citizen must.  This unique text schools students in the building blocks of good social science by distinguishing between the concepts of correlation and causation, and it helps students become more discerning consumers of political information and better decision-makers and more effective citizens.
Using a journalistic, example-rich narrative, this text draws heavily on the real-world of politics (both historical and contemporary) and provides students with a substantive foundation on the fundamentals of our government while enlisting them in an effort to solve the lively, fascinating puzzles with which political scientists grapple every day.