Author Description

With a focus on competition for resources, this balanced, but provocative text uses Harold Laswell's classic definition of politics-"Who gets what, when, and how"-as a framework for presenting a clear, cohesive and stimulating introduction to the American political system. Thomas Dye, along with new co-author Bartholomew Sparrow, has written a lively and absorbing narrative examining the struggle for power that is American politics: the participants, the stakes, the processes, and the institutions. Numerous feature boxes explore timely issues, draw cross-cultural comparisons, promote critical thinking, and provoke thoughtful opinions. The Texas Edition of this classic text includes the same coverage as the comprehensive version, but includes 7 additional chapters on Texas politics. Politics in America's theme of constant competition for power and resources - "who gets what" - has never been more relevant because of the intense political conflict of the most expensive presidential campaign in American history. Furthermore, the hotly-contested primary campaigns that led to the national conventions in 2008 make this a highly engaging topic