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The Enduring Democracy
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The Enduring Democracy

Ninth Edition
January 2027 | 424 pages | CQ Inc
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The Enduring Democracy, Ninth Edition, highlights the essentials of American government by placing current issues and debates in historical perspective. By looking back, students can understand how the challenges and controversies characterizing American government today have been tackled in our past. Through clear, approachable prose and relevant examples, veteran scholars and educators Kenneth Dautrich, David Yalof, and Christina Bejarano tap into historical lessons learned to help students understand and engage with today's dynamic political realities. The new edition frames the 2026 midterm elections from the perspective of what they mean to students to help them see the relevance of American government in their daily lives.
 
Letter to Instructors
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
Career Opportunities: Political Science
 
Part I: Foundations
 
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Enduring Democracy
Presidential Election Results, History, Diversity, and American Politics

 
Forms and Functions of Government

 
American Government and Politics

 
American Political Culture

 
Is American Democracy in Decline?

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 2: The Founding and the Constitution
The Beginnings of a New Nation

 
The Constitutional Convention

 
The New Constitution

 
The Ratification Battle

 
Changing the Constitution

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 3: Federalism
What Is Federalism?

 
The History of American Federalism

 
Why Federalism? Advantages and Disadvantages

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
The Bill of Rights: Origins and Evolution

 
Freedom of Religion and the Establishment Clause

 
Free Expression Rights

 
The Right to Bear Arms and the Rights of the Criminally Accused

 
The Modern Right to Privacy

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 5: Civil Rights and the Struggle for Equality
Types of Equality

 
The Struggle for Equality: Civil Rights Battles

 
Important Federal Civil Rights Protections

 
The Struggle for Equality: Gender, Sex, and Sexuality

 
Continuing Struggles Over Equality in the Modern Era

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 6: Congress
Article I and the Creation of Congress

 
The Structure and Organization of Congress

 
The Committee System

 
How a Bill Becomes a Law

 
Oversight and Personnel Functions of Congress

 
Constituent Service: Helping People Back Home

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 7: The Presidency
Who Is Eligible to Be President?

 
The Evolution of the American Presidency

 
Express Powers and Responsibilities of the President

 
Implied Powers and Responsibilities of the President

 
Presidential Resources

 
Important Presidential Relationships

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 8: The Federal Bureaucracy
What Is Bureaucracy?

 
What Does the Federal Bureaucracy Do?

 
The Development of the Federal Bureaucracy

 
Getting Control of the Growing Bureaucracy

 
The Organization of the Federal Bureaucracy

 
The Federal Workforce

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 9: The Judiciary
Types of Law

 
The Structure of the U.S. Legal System

 
The Adversarial System of Justice

 
Judicial Review and Its Implications

 
Limitations on Courts

 
Electing and Appointing Judges

 
How a Case Proceeds Within the U.S. Supreme Court

 
Judicial Decision-Making and Debates Over the Exercise of Judicial Power

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 10: Public Opinion
Public Opinion in American Politics

 
The Levels of Public Opinion

 
How Informed Is Public Opinion?

 
How Does Public Opinion Form?

 
How Is Public Opinion Measured?

 
Interpreting Public Opinion Data

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 11: Interest Groups
Pluralism and the Interest-Group System

 
Interest Groups in Action

 
Types of Interest Groups

 
How Interest Groups Achieve Their Goals

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 12: The Media and American Politics
The Media in American Politics

 
Historical Development of the Media

 
The Mass Media Today

 
Effects of the Media

 
Criticisms of the News Media

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 13: Political Parties and Voting
The Development of Political Parties in the United States

 
The Functions of Political Parties

 
Why a Two-Party System?

 
Party Organizations

 
Voting

 
Exercising the Franchise

 
Participation Beyond Voting

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 14: Campaigns and Elections
American Presidential Elections in Historical Perspective

 
The Nomination Campaign

 
The General Election Campaign

 
Campaign Funding

 
Congressional Campaigns and Elections

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 15: American Public Policy
An Overview of the Policy-Making Process

 
Theories and Practice in Economic Policy

 
The Welfare State and Programs for the Economically Disadvantaged

 
The Social Security System and Health Care Policy

 
Foreign Policy

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Notes

 
 
Appendix

The Enduring Democracy is an excellent introductory textbook that effectively covers the key dimensions of American government and politics that every college student, regardless of major, should be familiar with.

Professor Gary L. Rose
Sacred Heart University
Review

In my opinion, the main strength of The Enduring Democracy is the writing style. Concepts are described and explained in a manner that is similar to how I explain them to my students. This provides them with an easy transition from reading to lecture. This book does a nice job of balancing readability with content. It feels up-to-date and the visual elements are engaging.

Professor Bo Wood
University of North Dakota
Review

The Enduring Democracy is very user-friendly text and well-supported with Sage Vantage. I think this is a textbook our students could read easily, and I appreciate the several useful additional text resources, including knowledge checks, videos, polls, chapter quizzes, and chapter summaries.

Professor Annette Chamberlin
Virginia Western Community College
Review

I find the writing style to be perfect. I believe The Enduring Democracy is a well-researched and well-written survey on the federal government. The book provides a nice historical context and covers topics in a thoughtful and thorough manner.

Professor Tracy Cook
Central Texas College
Review

In my post-lecture survey of students, one comment students make all the time is that they enjoy the way The Enduring Democracy explores demographic changes in the country, and how it helps them understand political changes in the United States.

Professor Augustine Ayuk
Clayton State University
Review

The Enduring Democracy is an excellent core textbook for American Government. It is a clear presentation of the basic information with an emphasis on institutions and context. This text has been well-liked by my students.

Professor Gregory Dixon
University of West Georgia
Review
Key features
NEW TO THIS EDITION:
  • Thoroughly updated throughout to account for recent developments through the 2026 midterm election. Please see the book's preface or contact your Sage sales rep for a list of chapter-by-chapter changes.
    • Updated Then & Now features to include recent events.
    • Updated with latest available data throughout the book.
    • Improved accessibility for tables and figures throughout the book.
  • The new edition is available in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Unparalleled in its ease of use and built for dynamic teaching and learning, Vantage offers customizable LMS integration and best-in-class support.
    • NEW! An AI Literacy module prepares students to engage confidently with today’s AI tools through an interactive, outcomes-focused experience—with minimal instructor lift and no course redesign required. Available exclusively in Sage Vantage and written by professors who teach and publish about AI, the AI Information Literacy, Academic Integrity, and Responsible AI Use module integrates video, data driven examples, applied activities, Knowledge Checks, and built-in assessments that help instructors track student understanding. Focused on strengthening critical thinking, the module teaches students how to evaluate AI outputs for accuracy and bias while developing responsible prompting strategies that support academic success without compromising students’ intellectual growth.
    • Flashcards and note-taking tools help students better prepare for class.
    • NEW! Audiobook Player allows students to listen to text content, boosting comprehension and retention. It offers flexible, on-the-go access, engaging both reluctant readers and auditory learners, improving the overall reading experience.
    • The Offline Reading option in the Student Dashboard offers greater accessibility to Vantage’s reading content, regardless of where students are or how strong their internet connection may be.
    • Video animations for the American Government course help students understand key concepts like redistricting and gerrymandering, voter turnout, and public opinion.
KEY FEATURES:
  • Learning Objectives open each chapter and serve as a road map to the key concepts and major sections students will find within the chapter, helping them focus on the most important points and assess their reading comprehension.
  • Throughout the narrative, there's a focus on rapidly changing demographics in our population that asks us to reconsider many aspects of American political behavior and how that will influence both the present and future.
  • Then & Now boxes help students to understand that debates and events being played out in American politics today have occurred before in different forms.  
  • From Your Perspective discussions focus on how political decisions impact college students and on how student engagement in politics can make a difference.  
  • Critical Thinking questions at the end of every thematic box help students think about the material in new and interesting ways and spark classroom discussion.
Vantage Reference: 
The Enduring Democracy - Vantage Learning Platform