UNDERSTANDING AMERICAN GOVERNMENT is highly respected and trusted for its attention to research and issues of diversity, its award-winning team of authors, and its brief length, made so by not covering policy. While covering the basic foundations and features of American Government, this text also moves beyond the nuts and bolts, to explain why and how important features of government have evolved, their impact on government and individuals, and why these features are controversial (if they are) and worth learning. More than just narrating facts and current issues, UNDERSTANDING AMERICAN GOVERNMENT attempts to leave the students with an understanding of the "why", so their knowledge can be applied long after the course is completed. AMERICAN GOVERNMENT (with policy chapters) is a three-time winner of the American Government Textbook Award for the Best Treatment of Women in Politics, by the Women's Caucus for Political Science.