Includes bibliographical references (p.553-574) and indexes.

Studying the dynamics of democracy: conflict, rules and change
Constitution;
The social context of american politics;
Civil liberties and civil rights;
Public opinion;
Voting and participation;
The news media;
Political parties;
Interest groups;
Congress;
The presidency;
The federal bureaucracy;
The courts;
The federal system and state government;
The federal budget;
Foreign policy

[This book] is ... to help college students better understand the political structures and forces that shape their lives. [In this book, the authors] address the issue of government and politics by emphasizing two lessons ... First, "politics involves conflict". The variety of interests that exist in society makes conflicts virtually inevitable. Government seeks to manage (though not necessarily resolve) some of those conflicts by creating procedures and institutions.... The second lesson [the authors] emphasize is that "the rules that stipulate how the government makes its decisions help determine the winners and losers in particular conflicts".... Throughout [the] book, [the authors] show how the rules of politics and government reflect and shape conflicts in society. -Pref.