FROM THE PREFACE: "This textbook is an alternative to longer textbooksthat cover the institutions and processes of American government ingreater detail. It is hoped that by easing students into the field ofgovernment and politics they will become more interested and pursue itfurther. The text is also dejargonized as much as possible. This meansthat it is written in more of a conversational style than other moretraditional books. Hopefully, this text will still introduce the studentto the language of the discipline, and more importantly, to the languageof everyday politics. The third edition provides us with furtheropportunity to continue to reorganize and add chapters and update thematerial and include new information about American government andpolitics. In addition, the latest edition includes lists of terms, andInternet sites. In putting together this book, we introduce the studentto the concepts we think are essential and helpful in explaining thefacts of American politics. We have not employed a particulartheoretical approach in analyzing American politics. The book offers thestudent basic information about the political system that will enablehim or her to make judgements about political issues."