The Brief Edition of this highly lauded text with a public policy approach and "politics matters" theme has been updated to include important coverage of current topics, such as the 2004 Election and American Foreign Policy in the Middle East. Framing its content within a "politics matters" theme, the authors of Government in America illustrate the impact government has on the daily lives of each and every American, motivating students to become active participants in all aspects of political culture. In this latest Brief Seventh Edition, all material has been completely updated throughout the text.