The new edition of this highly affordable Penguin Academic Series book provides a lively, engaging introduction to American government that is more streamlined than ever before. Written in a strong narrative voice and brimming with student-relevant examples, Americas New Democracy provides a focused and stimulating treatment of politics in the United States. Illustrating popular influence across the political system in defense of a central theme -that elections matter more in Americas political system today than they have in the past or do in other democracies- the book challenges the pessimistic view that government seldom listens to ordinary people. Americas New Democracy encourages readers to see that in a system where votes are the main currency, both power and responsibility rest on the shoulders of all citizens.