Now part of the Advantage Series, THE CHALLENGE OF DEMOCRACY, ESSENTIALS, offers the same quality coverage at a competitive price. (The Advantage Series Essentials version replaces the second edition of the Student Choice version.) This best-selling American government text is highly acclaimed for the non-ideological framework it uses to explore three themes: freedom, order, and equality as political values, majoritarianism versus pluralism debate, and globalization's effect on American politics. Extensively updated, this edition includes new examples, figures, data, and current discussions. The authors include balanced coverage of the first two years of the Obama administration, coverage and analysis of the 2010 midterm election, and a retrospective of the Bush presidency.