America At Odds: The Essentials (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac)

This text addresses all of the major topics of an American government course, including elections, Congress, public policy, and so on. However, unlike many introductory texts, it emphasizes a more topical and provocative point/counterpoint approach that explores the conflicts that truly define America as a nation. Each chapter includes a discussion of a significant political issue and presents both sides of that issue, showing how and why Americans are often politically at odds with each other. Does not contain three chapters on public policy that are part of AMERICA AT ODDS: THIRD EDITION.

Beth Henschen received her Ph.D. from the Ohio State University, and was a faculty member in the departments of political science at Purdue University and Loyola University Chicago before joining the faculty at Eastern Michigan University. She teaches courses in American government, judicial politics, and civil rights and liberties, and has been the recipient of several awards for teaching excellence. Her articles have appeared in numerous professional journals, including the American Political Science Review, American Politics Quarterly, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Judicature, Policy Studies Review, and Political Research Quarterly.

Edward Sidlow is professor of political science at Eastern Michigan University, and is also EMU's Faculty Representative to the NCAA. Sidlow received his Ph.D. from Ohio State University in 1979. He teaches broadly in the area of American politics, and has published two books on Congress in addition to numerous articles in professional journals. Prior to his work at EMU, Sidlow served on the faculties of Arizona State University, Miami (OH) University, and Northwestern University, and was an academic administrator at Loyola University Chicago. He has won awards for outstanding teaching at Miami, Northwestern, and EMU, and is often called upon by print and electronic media for political analysis.