Analyzing American Democracy: Politics and Political Science

Providing the tools for critical thinking, the fifth edition of Analyzing American Democracy: Politics and Political Science relies on statistical analysis, constitutional scholarship, and theoretical foundations to introduce the structure, process, and outcomes of the U.S. political system. Interpretation and implications of the 2022 mid-term elections and full results of the 2020 census are included, as are discussions of:: the January 6th commission, major developments in the Supreme Court, the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and other key political events that shape domestic, foreign, judicial, and economic policies. For introductory courses in American government, this text covers theory and methods as well.

New to the Fifth Edition

- New and updated statistical data reflecting the 2020 census and the 2022 midterm elections, and discussions of the implications of the data and the results.

- Offers a retrospective analysis of the entire Trump presidency and the first years of the Biden presidency.

- Examines contemporary questions of social justice and anticipates upcoming challenges to voting rights, affirmative action policies, health care and reproductive rights, and protections for ethnic minorities and the LGBT community.

- Previews the policy implications of an increasingly partisan Supreme Court, recaps the controversial recent decisions on health care, abortion, and environmental policy, and covers the historic confirmation of new justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson.

Jon R. Bond received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is currently a professor of political science at Texas A&M University. His research analyzes the policy making process and the operation of democracy in American politics. Specifically, he is interested in the interactions of American political institutions, especially Congress and the presidency, and how electoral motivations affect democratic responsiveness in American political institutions. He has published more than three-dozen chapters and journal articles on presidential-congressional relations, congressional elections, and public policy. He served as president of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society from 2006-2008, and president of the Southern Political Science Association, the oldest regional political science association from 2006-2007.

Kevin B. Smith received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is currently a professor of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he is also co-director of the UNL Political Science Physiology Lab. His primary research focus is on the biology of political attitudes and behavior. Smith is the recipient of his university’s College of Arts & Sciences Outstanding Research and Creative Achievement Award.

Lydia M. Andrade received her Ph.D. from Texas A&M University and is Interim Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences as well as a professor of political science at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX. She is an award-winning teacher and author of a variety of teaching and learning guides including supplements for this text. She participates regularly in summer workshops with The College Board and is known for her work on the presidency, foreign policy, women and politics, and teacher diversity.