American Government and Politics Today - Texas Edition, 2009-2010 - Hardcover

Schmidt, Steffen W.; Shelley, Mack C.; Bardes, Barbara A.; Maxwell, William Earl; Crain, Ernest

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0495568414 ISBN 13: 9780495568414

Publisher: Cengage Learning, 2009

Synopsis

People are often hesitant to become involved in the political process, but AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS TODAY-TEXAS EDITION, 2009-2010 demonstrates how seemingly small steps can make a big difference. Combining comprehensive coverage of the U.S. and Texas political processes, the book uses intriguing, real-life examples and exercises to engage readers in the fascinating intricacies of American government--inspiring you to participate in the political process. As it introduces concepts, the book illustrates specific ways readers can participate, showing through exciting examples how individuals--of all ages and backgrounds--can make a profound impact. Active participation can be as simple as calling a local politician to share an opinion on a local issue, registering to vote, or viewing a town council meeting on local access cable. The book includes expanded coverage of the 2008 presidential election and promotes critical thinking throughout with issue discussion, comparison, and debate. Engaging and inspiring, AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS TODAY-TEXAS EDITION, 2009-2010 helps readers discover the importance of active, informed citizenship. Again and again, readers see the power of one to make a difference.

About this title

About the Author:

Steffen W. Schmidt is a professor of political science at Iowa State University. He grew up in Colombia, South America, and has studied in Colombia, Switzerland, and France. He has a B.A. from Rollins College and obtained his Ph.D. from Columbia University, New York, in public law and government. Schmidt has published fourteen books and over one hundred and thirty articles in scholarly journals and is the recipient of numerous prestigious teaching prizes, including the Amoco Award for Lifetime Career Achievement in Teaching and the Teacher of the Year award. He is a pioneer in the use of web-based and real-time video courses and is a member of the American Political Science Association's section on Computers and Multimedia. He is known as "Dr. Politics" for his extensive commentary on US politics in US and international media. He is a weekly blogger for Gannett, comments on CNN en Espanol and Univision as well as WNYC, New York. He's on Facebook (SteffenWSchmidt) and Twitter (DrPolitics).

Review:

"Excellent overview of key concepts that establish a political literacy necessary for students to understand American and Texas Politics."

"The get involved exercises are exactly the type of thing I want my students to experience. Students benefit greatly when the information they receive is relevant to their real lives."

"... but in Schmidt the authors bring Texas-relevant material to the student and that makes it a much more effective textbook."

About this edition

• Publisher: Cengage Learning
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0495568414
• ISBN 13: 9780495568414
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 1032