Ever challenging Americans' apathy or antipathy of politics, Hudson provides critical, but balanced recommendations for reform, while emphasizing that the strength of the U.S. political system rests on the ability to respond successfully to these pressing issues. Important new coverage in this fifth edition includes:

• The disparity between low- and high-income residents of the Gulf Coast that was thrown into vivid relief after Hurricane Katrina, revealing deeply embedded social, economic, and political inequality in the United States.
• Judicial appointment politics that allow the president to promote ideological values in an undemocratic manner.
• Stunted "sound bite" media coverage and candidate-centered campaigning that discourage Americans from deliberating and exercising their voices on national policy concerns.
• The Bush administration's approaches to fighting terror and upholding democracy in the world that may, in fact, jeopardize democratic values.