Focusing on electoral forces, Mo Fiorina and Paul Peterson's groundbreaking text offers a stimulating, analytical approach to American government that engages students as it gives them a unique understanding of their political system as it exists today.

The accessibility of instant public opinion polls, the Internet, the ubiquitous nature of the news media, and the increasingly important role of interest groups—all of which Fiorina and Peterson use to demonstrate that America is moving toward a more popular democracy—have blurred the lines between campaigning and governing. Politicians today are constantly engaged in the campaign process—a “permanent campaign”—that has affected how our government functions in profound ways. The Third Edition of this highly respected text has been brought completely up-to-date through the beginning of Bush's administration, September 11th, the war on terrorism, and the 2002 midterm elections, and continues to be the only text available that addresses the fundamental shift in the way American government functions.