Features:“What Do You Think?” boxes compell students to think critically about American politics by presenting them with a controversial issue and asking them to take a stance. After forming their opinion, students can look at the results of public opinion polls to compare their views with the rest of the country.“A Conflicting View” boxes challenge students to rethink the idea of a “conventional wisdom” in American politics by presenting them with views on important topics that clash with popular opinion. Designed to be controversial, these boxes get students thinking about the “push and pull” of American politics.“Politics Up Close” boxes present a close examination of the key topics in each chapter by focusing on those involved in the competition for resources. Topics include “The Christian Coalition: Organizing the Faithful” and “The American Civil Liberties Union.”“People in Politics” boxes personalize American government by showing students that American political figures are real people with real backgrounds. These profiles of both historical and contemporary figures focus on their college experience, how they became involved in public life, and how they were able to impact American politics. “Compared to What?” boxes encourage students to think about American politics in a global context by comparing American political processes and practices with those of countries around the world.“Across the USA” maps summarize important statistical and demographic information, giving students an idea of how critical issues in American politics affect and are viewed by all fifty states.“A Constitutional Note” plus Annotated U.S. Constitution. Citizens and policymakers  alike have become increasingly distressed by college graduates' lack of knowledge of the U.S. Constitution. To address this concern, Politics in America includes both the “A Constitutional Note” feature, which discusses a constitutional issue raised in each chapter, and an annotated U.S. Constitution, which offering deeper insight into the complexity and historical connotations of this landmark document. New to this Edition:A new feature, “Controversy, ” gets students engaged with some of the most provocative issues in American politics and encourages them to debate the issues. Topics include: “The Supremacy Clause: Marijuana for Medical Use?” “Abortion: The 'Hot Button' Issue, ” “Should Violence Against Women Be a Federal Crime?” “Which Party Does a Better Job?” and “Are We One Nation “Under God?”New“Who Gets What?” chapter summaries recap the most important concepts and details of each chapter, presenting them in the context of the book's theme-that American politics is truly a study of “who gets what, when, and how.”New topics in the Eighth Edition include:The battle for the White House between Barack Obama and John McCain The bitter and prolonged Democratic primary fight between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama The origins of the war in Iraq, the growing opposition to the war, and strategies for exiting the war Each chapter now begins with a quote from Harold Lasswell relating that chapter's topic to the theme of politics as “who gets what, when, and how.”New topics in other existing features include:What Do You Think?Should We Call a New Constitutional Convention?Should Government Leaders Pay More Attention to Public Opinion?Which Government Does the Best Job?Does Immigration Help or Hurt America?When Should the United States Use Military Force? Politics Up CloseBarack and Hillary in the Democratic Presidential PrimariesThe Appeal of the Democratic and Republican Parties60 Minutes, News as Entertainment, The Oprah EffectWashington's Most Powerful Lobbies.People in PoliticsJohn McCainBarack ObamaHillary ClintonBen BernankeGeneral David Petraeus