Keeping the Republic

Power and Citizenship in American Politics

NEW TO THIS EDITION:

• The new edition is available as a digital option through SAGE Vantage, an intuitive digital platform that offers auto-graded assignments and interactive multimedia tools—including video—all designed to enable students to better prepare for class. Learn more.
• A revitalization of the book’s theme reflects the influences of modern technology on power and citizenship, in particular the ways that citizenship is mediated by third parties. Integrated throughout the book, the theme encourages students to look 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.
• New What’s at Stake . . . ? vignettes introduce students to topics such as the activism of the Black Lives Matter movement, the continued rise of the alt right and the Make America Great Again movement, the impact of political outsiders on the nomination process and parties, what happens when the federal government lacks the will or the ability to address national problems like the pandemic, and the unusual presidency of Donald Trump.
• Up-to-date 2020 election coverage and analysis, particularly in the chapters on Congress, the presidency, public opinion, political parties, and campaigns and elections, provide students with a current snapshot of the results.
  Updated throughout to account for recent developments including:
  • Congress’ impeachment proceedings against the president in 2019 and his acquittal in early February 2020;
  • The impact of COVID-19 in the United States and across the world, including: the politicization of masks, unemployment and government subsidies to stimulate the economy, virtual Party conventions, its impact on voting, and what happens when the federal government lacks the will or ability to address national problems;
  • The impact of political outsiders on the presidency, the White House, and our bureaucracy;
  • The rise of both the Black Lives Matter and Make America Great Again movements, especially in light of political polarization, mass movements, and social unrest;
  • The repeal of Obama-era climate change initiatives and treaties in an effort to protect coal and fossil fuel industries in the face of more dramatic weather events and rising temperatures.

• SAGE course outcomes help you track and measure student success. Crafted with specific course outcomes in mind and vetted by advisors in the field, SAGE course outcomes clearly define and benchmark the knowledge and skills students are expected to achieve upon completion of your course. See how outcomes tie in with this book’s chapter-level objectives.  
• Don’t Be Fooled By… boxes discuss big data and parody news sites.
• CLUES to Critical Thinking boxes teach students to think carefully about the news of the day.
• The Power & Citizenship themes emphasize politics as not just a struggle over who gets power and resources in society, but also over who gets to control the narrative that defines that struggle.
• The Big Picture graphics present rich, poster-worthy infographic displays that focus on a key element that grabs students’ attention and broadens their understanding of big processes, big concepts, and big data.
• Snapshot of America graphics focus on demographics and invite students to explore the connections between data and politics and help them to understand the meaning behind the numbers.
• In Your Own Words goals at the start of each chapter provide learning objectives to help students organize chapter material as they read. These goals are reinforced in the “Who, What, How” summary at the end of every chapter.
• What’s at Stake features push students to consider people’s struggle with our system of government–what the people in our society need, and how the rules effect the outcome of that struggle.
• Profiles in Citizenship—interviews conducted by the authors with many of today’s prominent movers and shakers—demonstrate the variety of ways students can enter public life and make a difference.
• Chapter-ending resources offer a more contextual learning experience including student Review sections with chapter summaries and key terms as well as the CLUES to Critical Thinking exercises..