AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS TODAY: THE ESSENTIALS 2009-2010 EDITION inspires readers to join the exciting process of being active, informed citizens. Bardes, Shelley, and Schmidt provide an unbiased and concisely organized overview of this essential subject, updated with complete Election 2008 coverage and wholly redesigned for even greater reader appeal. The text's fundamental theme continues to be the importance of participating in active citizenship. To reinforce this theme, the text emphasizes continual critical thinking about political issues and encourages readers to become involved in the political process. The authors incorporate abundant current examples, including increased coverage of the impact of the Internet and other media, to stimulate learning and excitement.