American Government: Political Development and Institutional Change uses political development and the dynamics of change as a thematic tool to help students understand how politics works—and how it has changed over time.

Chapter 1 THE ORIGINS OF AMERICAN POLITICAL PRINCIPLESChapter 2 THE REVOLUTION AND THE CONSTITUTIONChapter 3 FEDERALISM AND AMERICAN POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTChapter 4 POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION AND PUBLIC OPINION Chapter 5 THE MASS MEDIA AND THE POLITICAL AGENDAChapter 6 INTEREST GROUPS: THE POLITICS OF INFLUENCEChapter 7 POLITICAL PARTIES: WINNING THE RIGHT TO GOVERNChapter 8 VOTING, CAMPAIGNS, AND ELECTIONSChapter 9 CONGRESS: PARTISANSHIP, POLARIZATION, AND GRIDLOCKChapter 10 THE PRESIDENT: EXECUTIVE POWER IN A SEPARATION OF POWERS REGIME Chapter 11 BUREAUCRACY: REDESIGNING GOVERNMENT FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURYChapter 12 THE FEDERAL COURTS: ACTIVISM VERSUS RESTRAINTChapter 13 CIVIL LIBERTIES: ORDERED LIBERTY IN AMERICAChapter 14 CIVIL RIGHTS: WHERE LIBERTY AND EQUALITY COLLIDE Chapter 15 GOVERNMENT, THE ECONOMY, AND DOMESTIC POLICYChapter 16 AMERICA’S GLOBAL ROLE IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURYGLOSSARY OF KEY TERMSGLOSSARY OF CASESAppendix A THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE Appendix B THE ARTICLES OF THE CONFEDERATIONAppendix C CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATESAppendix D FEDERALIST NUMBERS 10, 51, AND 78Appendix E PARTISAN CONTROL OF THE PRESIDENCY, CONGRESS, AND THE SUPREME COURTINDEX

Praise for American Government, Twelfth EditionWhat sets Jillson’s text apart from other American government books, is how it connects the compromises that shaped the creation of American institutions to their historical evolution and how they confront twenty-first century challenges. The text helps students understand and critically engage important debates, from the proliferation of fake news to mass protests fighting discrimination, potential government reforms, and the historic nature of a national election amid a global pandemic.Stephen C. Phillips, Clemson UniversityThe textbook, American Government: Political Development and Institutional Change, by Cal Jillson, provides students with a comprehensive study of the origins, politics, and institutions of the American political system. The first chapter opens with the relationship between classical ideas and writings and American political principles establishing a framework for learning how these principles are applied through our political systems and institutions. The 12th edition contains relevant updates that give greater insight into current events and political processes. The inclusion of questions embedded in the chapter, definitions in text boxes, and thoughtful exercises are instructional tools help guide students through each of the chapters. I highly recommend this textbook because it gives a nuanced and unbiased look at government allowing students to develop their own ideas, views, and opinions. Michelle Belco, University of HoustonPraise for Previous Editions A book that connects the political challenges of today to the political conflicts of the past.Jonathan Chausovsky, SUNY FredoniaThis text is accessible and well-written with a nice amount of historical/institutional background. It does a very good job of offering students a sense of why we do things one way rather than another in historical terms. I think the author’s clear writing is one of the text’s most attractive features.Thomas Hoffman, Spring Hill CollegeThis book truly stands apart from the vast crowd of introductory American politics textbooks.Shamira M. Gelbman, Illinois State UniversityMost of my students are non-majors. They walk into the course expecting to be bored. Jillson’s text helps them get over that. I've considered many textbooks over the years and this is clearly the right one for me.Keith Dougherty, University of GeorgiaClear, comprehensive, and concise, this is no doubt the best American government text on the market today.Christopher Malone, Lehman College