Politics in Action

Cases From the Frontlines of American Government

Gary Wasserman author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd

Published:9th Apr '26

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

This hardback is available in another edition too:

Politics in Action cover

Designed for use in American government courses, Politics in Action encourages students to take a critical approach to contemporary events and consider the impact of politics on this Republic and its citizens.

The book offers short in-depth cases that enliven the teaching of political concepts and help students grasp key issues shaping their lives. Each of the 15 chapters work as self-contained stories drawing attention to important and current actors, events, and issues in American politics. This edition highlights conflicts such as A Woman for President?, Trump vs. the Press, Re-presenting the Climate, Partisan Federalism: The Battles Over Immigration, The Politics of Abortion, Trying to Steal Georgia’s 2020 Election: Republicans Dissent, The Fight Over Fighting Words on Campus, and The Best and the Brightest in the Afghanistan War, to illustrate polarized public affairs in America. Taken together, these concise reader-friendly stories go beyond the headlines to reflect the energy, debates, and realities of modern politics.

Features

  • A three-part and 15-chapter organization echoes an introductory American Government syllabus, allowing for seamless integration into teaching the course
  • The chapters begin with an introduction that frames the discussion, connecting it to significant issues and players
  • A "Concepts to Consider" box ends each chapter to aid understanding of the key topics presented by the case stories

Politics in Action provides short case stories to complement undergraduate courses on American government, as well as informing readers following contemporary politics.

"Gary Wasserman’s Politics in Action: Cases From the Frontline of American Government has been published, and if political science professors across the country aren’t using it in their classrooms, more’s the pity. “The emphasis is on storytelling,” Wasserman writes, and over 15 chapters he presents succinct but “in-depth” cases designed to stimulate class discussions, drawn from the whole sweep of American political history."

Alan Pell Crawford

The American Conservative

"Professor Wasserman's Politics in Action volume captures the complexities and challenges of American politics and governance that have been with our democracy since its founding. The cases engage students and readily connect contemporary political issues and policymaking to the past. This is an excellent addition to an introductory course on American government."

Kathy Wagner Hill, Johns Hopkins University

ISBN: 9781041279136

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 630g

238 pages

3rd edition