Everything about this dynamic book-from its engaging writing and examples, to its bold graphics and photos, to its innovative learning pedagogy and interactive assessment-is designed to get students to participate: in their learning, in the classroom, and in all aspects of American politics.

American Government instructors overwhelmingly cite student apathy as the single biggest problem in their course; students are simply not engaged in the material and do not believe that the government can affect and enrich their lives. Lead author Dan Shea, founder of the Center for Political Participation, along with co-authors Joanne Connor Green and Christopher E. Smith teamed up to write an American Government text that helps students experience the impact of government in their daily lives and inspires them to work to affect that government in return. Written with the belief that the American Government course is critically important for our students-as well as for the long-term stability of the democratic process-Living Democracy helps students draw connections between course topics and current events and find a role for themselves in politics and government.

The text's innovative approach to American government presents the dynamic nature of our country's democratic process more accurately than any other book currently on the market, while offering all of the material found in a comprehensive, traditionally organized government text within an active framework. The Brief edition includes the coverage of the comprehensive version in a stream-lined format.

Now in its second edition, this attention-getting text is building on its message of participation: improvements to its innovative pedagogical system with even more assessment opportunities help students participate more fully in their own learning process, while new Student Profiles of politically active young people from around the world continue to promote students' political participation. New coverage highlights the events surrounding the 2008 Election including the massive growth in voter participation.