"First, specific social problems such as the growth of global terrorism, environmental sustainability, immigration and border security, violence between ethnic and racial groups, inequality and worldwide poverty, political populism, and gender oppression have become especially salient since we last wrote introductory course materials. Second, on a broader scale, society has become polarized, with persons in the fringe media and political pundits on both the left and right routinely disrespecting those who disagree with them. Indeed, it has become increasingly difficult to detect where factually based news ends and politically inspired narratives begin"--