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

Studying the dynamics of democracy, conflict, rules, and change -- Constitutionnp- Social context of American politics -- Civil liberties and civil rights -- Public opinion -- Voting and participation -- News media -- Political parties -- Interest groups -- Congress -- Presidency -- Federal bureaucracy -- Courts -- Federal system and state government -- Federal budget -- Foreign policy -- Appendixes: Declaration of Independence; Articles of confederation and perpetual union; Federalist No.10; Federalist No.51; Antifederalists and the Constitution; Letter from Birmingham Jail; Race and the U.S. Constitution; Presidents and vice presidents of the United States; Presidential election results, 1789-1992; Party control of the presidency, Senate, and House of Representatives, 1901-1995; Twentieth-century justices of the Supreme Court; Presidential general election returns, by state, 1992; Portrait of the electorate, 1976-1992; American political parties since 1789 -- Glossary.

[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.