Keeping the Republic. Christine Barbour
book, if we have a bias it is unquestionably toward diversity, toward the whole crazy salad of Americans. We can’t write effectively for our students unless they can see themselves mirrored in the pages. This book has to belong to them, and so we have deplored the movement to return to an America where women, people of color, immigrants, members of the LGBTQ community, and other minority groups are marginalized. In the last two years some Americans have felt more free to voice disparaging or degrading remarks about members of all those groups. We reject that view.
Writing the eighth brief edition also gave us an opportunity to revitalize the book’s theme to reflect the influences of modern technology on power and citizenship, in particular the ways that citizenship is mediated by third parties. To do that, we looked 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. This coverage is integrated throughout each chapter and is especially notable in the Citizens and . . . sections and the Don’t Be Fooled by . . . boxes’ focus on digital media.
Reviews for this edition helped guide some key changes that we hope will make the text even more useful to you and your students. We have sought to streamline both the main narrative and its features to provide a more focused reading experience. New What’s at Stake . . . ? vignettes examine such topics as the activism of the students of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, the rise of the alt right and the Make America Great Again movement, the appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court amidst discord in Congress, what happens when outsiders challenge party establishment, the consequences of overturning executive action on climate change, and Donald Trump’s presidency. One new Profiles in Citizenship interview appears in this edition — we had the opportunity to interview Senator Tammy Duckworth before the 2018 midterms.
Digital Resources
We know how important good resources can be in the teaching of American government. Our goal has been to create resources that not only support but also enhance the text’s themes and features. SAGE edge offers a robust online environment featuring an impressive array of tools and resources for review, study, and further exploration, keeping both instructors and students on the cutting edge of teaching and learning. SAGE edge content is open access and available on demand. Learning and teaching has never been easier! We gratefully acknowledge Graphic World and Alicia Fisher of California State University, Fullerton for developing the digital resources for this site.
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Course Outcomes for American Government:
✔ ARTICULATE the foundations of American government, including its history, critical concepts, and important documents and achievements.
✔ EXPLAIN the main institutions of American government, including their roles and interrelationships.
✔ DESCRIBE the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.
✔ ANALYZE the development and impact of important governmental policies.
Instructor Resources
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