This edition features the exact same content as the traditional text in a convenient, three-hole- punched, loose-leaf version. Books à la Carte also offer a great value for your students–this format costs significantly less than a new textbook.Updated in a new 2nd edition, Understanding American Politics and Government provides students with a substantive foundation on the fundamentals of our government while enlisting them to become more discerning consumers of political information, better decision-makers and more effective citizens. Using a journalistic, example-rich narrative, this unique text schools students in the building blocks of good social science by distinguishing between the concepts of “correlation” and “causation.”*The Brief version of this text contains abbreviated coverage of all the major topic areas*