The built-in reader at the end of each chapter now features articles from newspapers around the country, from The Oregonian to The Tampa Tribune. The articles connect the chapters’ content to current affairs, and help students see that America’s daily papers offer high-quality coverage.

The text has been thoroughly updated to capture recent developments, most notably those related to the Iraq conflict, the war on terrorism, and the 2004 elections.

Political culture, including the role of religion in American politics, is more heavily emphasized. In chapter 1 the discussion of the theoretical underpinnings of the U.S. political system now includes a substantial explanation of how social contract theorists (Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau) fit in; information on authoritarianism and totalitarianism was added to the discussion of political systems and power; and the section on America’s core ideals (liberty, equality, and self-government) has been expanded.

Additional emphasis is placed on cross-national comparisons. Most chapters have an additional table or figure that compares an aspect of U.S politics with that same aspect elsewhere. Most of these comparisons involve public opinion; for example, how opinions in the United States on religion and politics compare with opinions in other countries.

Chapter 4, Civil Liberties, has a new section on the issue of civil liberties in the context of the war on terrorism, including the Supreme Court’s Hamdi decision. Also in chapter 4 the Lawrence case is explored; information on major 2003 and 2004 Supreme Court decisions affecting free expression and the rights of the accused have been added.