The new edition of the briefest and most affordable American Government text on the market updates data through the 2018 Midterm elections, looks ahead to 2020, and puts events of the Trump Administration in context with principles of Constitutional democracy.

Chapter 1 The Revolution and The Constitution Chapter 2 Federalism and The American Constitutional Order Chapter 3 Civil Liberties: Democracy and The Expansion of Liberty’s Realm Chapter 4 Civil Rights: Where Liberty and Equality Collide Chapter 5 Shaping Americans: Political Socialization, Public Opinion, And the Media Chapter 6 Factions Today: Interest Groups and Political Parties Chapter 7 Democracy’s Moment: Voting, Campaigns, and Elections Chapter 8 Congress: Partisanship, Polarization, and Gridlock Chapter 9 The Executive Branch: The President, The Bureaucracy, and Executive Power Chapter 10 The Federal Courts: Originalism Versus Living Constitutionalism Appendix A The Declaration Of Independence Appendix B Constitution of The United States Appendix C Federalist Numbers 10, 51, and 78

This brief textbook highlights the tension between constitutional democracy and populism in American government, focusing on questions of constitutionalism. In this well-written book, Cal Jillson gets students to ask key questions regarding the dynamic, complicated relationship between contemporary populism and government institutions in an interesting and well-executed departure from his usual American political development focus.Mark C. Miller, Clark UniversityThis timely text is a fantastic resource for students and professors, focusing on the most pressing issue facing America today: the functioning of our constitutional democracy amid increasing partisanship, polarization, and populism. The book is well-written, well-organized, and well-focused on the concepts, theories, and history that will allow students to engage the big questions of the modern day.Morgan Hazelton, Saint Louis UniversityCal Jillson’s new brief textbook is outstanding. With a well-researched, comprehensive set of historical analyses and effective writing style that is clear and flows well, it will be easy for American Government students to follow. I will surely use it in the future, and highly recommend it!Benjamin J. Kassow, University of North DakotaIn American Government: Constitutional Democracy Under Pressure, Cal Jillson provides an accessible and engaging treatment of the U.S. federal government. Understanding the formal and practical features of the Republic has arguably never been more important than in the midst of these challenging times. Constitutionally designed to lean into the winds of change, the structure and flows of the Republic are wonderfully elucidated and explained by Jillson in this text.John W. Patty, University of Chicago