Carefully updated for the Ninth Edition, American Government: Power and Purpose continues to offer the analytical rigor and focused pedagogy that has made it the authoritative text for American government courses. Emphasizing critical thinking, the text is structured around five core “Principles of Politics”:

1. All political behavior has a purpose
2. All politics is collective action
3. Institutions routinely solve collective-action problems.
4. Political outcomes are the products of individuals’ preferences and institutional procedures
5. History matters

By drawing on these principles throughout, the authors expose students to repeated applications of core concepts and provide a clear framework to help them think analytically about American government and politics.