The new edition of this highly affordable Penguin Academic Series book provides an engaging, analytical, and completely up-to-date introduction to American government and politics. Written in a strong narrative voice and brimming with student-relevant examples, Americars"s New Democracyprovides a focused and stimulating treatment of politics in the United States. Illustrating popular influence across the political system in defense of a central theme--thatelections matter more in Americars"s political system todaythan they have in the past or do in other democracies--the book challenges the pessimistic view that government seldom listens to ordinary people.Americars"s New Democracyencourages readers to see that in a system where votes are the main currency, both power and responsibility rest on the shoulders ofallcitizens.