For courses in American Government. With a focus on conflict and the struggle for power and a powerful supplements package, this textbook ignites students'interest in American politics. This balanced and exceedingly readable text uses Harold Laswell's classic definition of politics"Who gets what, when, and how"as a framework for presenting a clear, concise, and stimulating introduction to the American political system. Updated with discussions of recent events in our country, well-known political scientist Tom Dye has written a lively and absorbing narrative examining the struggle for power: the participants, the stakes, the processes, and the institutional arenas. An abundance of feature boxes explore timely issues and opinions, draw cross-cultural comparisons, and introduce important people.