In the new edition of this popular and accessible text, the highly lauded politics matters focus has been expanded and refined so that now, more than ever, instructors can depend upon Government in America to engage students in the study of our political system. Politics matters is a natural outgrowth of the text's long-standing emphasis on public policy: by emphasizing policy throughout, the authors illustrate to students the ways in which government has a direct impact on their lives and encourage them to see why course material is so important to study and understand.