American Government: Political Development and Institutional Change

How politics in America works today, how it got that way, and how it's likely to change through reform--these are the themes that pervade every chapter of Cal Jillson's highly lauded American Government: Political Development and Institutional Change. Even in the midst of current challenges, America's past is present in all aspects of the contemporary political system. Jillson uses political development and the dynamics of change as a thematic tool to help students understand how politics works now--and how institutions, participation, and policies have evolved over time to produce the contemporary political environment. In addition, Jillson helps students think critically about how American democracy might evolve further, focusing in every chapter on reform and further change.

New to the 11th Edition

• Provides a broad assessment of the Trump presidency, of the impact on the Supreme Court of Associate Justice Neal Gorsuch's and Brett Kavanaugh's appointments, and of the remarkable 2018 and 2020 election cycles.

• Describes numerous ways in which the American political system has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic struggles caused by it, and the social protests in which the Black Lives Matter movement has played such a visible role.

• Assesses the implication of fake news for our politics, both as it exists in fact and as it is used as a political cudgel.
• Details the impact that President Trump's America First policies have had on the National Security Strategy of the United States and the U.S. place in the post-World War II international order.
• Updates all data in tables and figures through the 2020 elections and includes many new photos and chapter opening vignettes.

- Includes new and revised special features among The Constitution Today, Pro/Con, and Let's Compare boxes.

Cal Jillson is Professor in the Department of Political Science at Southern Methodist University. His recent books include Lone Star Tarnished: A Critical Look at Texas Politics and Public Policy; Texas Politics: Governing the Lone Star State; Pursuing the American Dream: Opportunity and Exclusion Over Four Centuries; Pathways to Democracy: The Political Economy of Democratic Transitions; and The Dynamics of American Politics. Jillson is a frequent media commentator on Texas and national politics.