This brief, straight-forward introduction to American government has been a long-time student favorite because of its lively approach to the basics and its continued inexpensive price. Politics can be a contact sport, so this text uses a dynamic game metaphor to engage students in the basics of the American political system. Beginning with a clear definition of politics, it introduces four governmental and four nongovernmental "players" who must abide by the "rules of the game" established by the Constitution and civil liberties. It ends by examining rival theories of who wins and who loses in American politics. Written to engage students and lay a flexible foundation for instructors,The Basics of American Politicscovers all the terms and topics behind the current news, situating politics in the classroom and beyond.