Patterson, The American Democracy (NASTA Reinforced High School Binding) (AP AMERICAN DEMOCRACY (US GOVERNMENT))

The American Democracy has long been a best seller for American government courses thanks to its insightful, readable, and balanced portrayal of the American political system. The 10th edition continues this tradition of excellence while also introducing an emphasis on political thinking at a time when the partisan divide seemingly could not be wider and unbiased political information is often drowned out by other sources. The American Democracy helps develop students' critical thinking skills and ensures they leave the course as thoughtful individuals who carry the debate forward in measured and informed ways.

The political thinking framework emphasizes the need for - and tools to successfully develop - a political thinking approach among American government students. As a result, students leave the course better prepared to critically evaluate political information and arrive at reasoned opinions.

The timely coverage challenges students' assumptions and also hooks them on the material with relevant examples, like a 2010 Pew Reseach Center survey on American's attitudes and knowledge about the health care reform bill.

Political thinking features such as "Debating the Issues" and question-based prompts to political thinking challenge students to evaluate their opinions and assumptions.

The "How the 50 States Differ" feature in each chapter underscores the important effect that the differences between states have on the character of national politics.

Thomas E. Patterson is Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press in the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He was previously distinguished professor of political science in the Maxwell School of Citizenship at Syracuse University. Raised in a small Minnesota town near the Iowa and South Dakota borders, he was educated at South Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota, where he received his Ph.D. in 1971. Currently running the "Vanishing Voter" study at the Kennedy School of Government, which has been widely used in the media and on college campuses, Tom is also the author of six books and dozens of articles, which focus primarily on the media and elections. His book, 'Out of Order'(1994), received national attention when President Clinton said every politician and journalist should be required to read it. An earlier book, 'The Mass Media Election'(1980), received a 'Choice' award as Outstanding Academic Book, 1980-81. Another of Patterson's books, 'The Unseeing Eye'(1976), was recently selected by the American Association for Public Opinion Research as one of the fifty most influential books of the past half century in the field of public opinion. His current research includes a study of White House communication and a study of the news media's role in Western democracies. His work has been funded by major grants from the National Science Foundation, the Markle Foundation, the Smith-Richardson Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts.