Politics in America, Texas Edition (Election Reprint) (4th Edition)

Politics in America uses Harold Laswell's classic definition of politics―“Who gets what, when, and how”―as a framework for presenting a clear, concise, and stimulating introduction to the American political system. Focusing on the millennial election year, Dye's lively and absorbing narrative examines the struggle for power―the participants, the stakes, the processes, and the institutional arena―and an abundance of feature boxes explore timely issues and opinions, draw cross-cultural comparisons, and introduce important people. One of the most well known political scientists, Tom Dye has written a balanced, and exceedingly readable text.

Thomas R. Dye, formerly Professor of Government at Florida State University, is President of the Lincoln Center for Public Service. He regularly taught large introductory classes in American politics and was Univer sityTeacher of theYear in 1987. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Pennsylvania State University and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of numerous books and articles on American government and public policy, including The Irony of Democracy; Politics in States and Communities; Understanding Public Policy; Who's Running America;American Politics in the Media Age; Power in Society; Politics, Economics, and the Public; and American Federalism: Competition Among Governments. His books have been translated into many languages, including Russian and Chinese, and published abroad. He has served as president of the Southern Political Science Association, president of the Policy Studies Organization, and secretary of the American Political Science Association. He has taught at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Georgia, and served as a visiting scholar at Bar-Ilan University, Israel, the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Phi Kappa Phi, and is listed in most major biographical directories.

L. Tucker Gibson, Jr., is chair and professor of political science at Trinity University, where he teaches introductory courses in American national and state government as well as courses on U.S. legislatures, political parties, and interest groups. He has served on the Civil Service Commission of the city of San Antonio, assisted local governments across central and south Texas in redistricting their government bodies, and conducted public opinion research for political candidates, businesses, and corporations. Gibson is the coauthor of Government and Politics in the Lone Star State: Theory and Practice.

Clay Robison has covered state government and politics in Texas for more than 30 years as a journalist, first for the San Antonio Light, and then, since 1982, for the Houston Chronicle. He is the Houston Chronicle's Austin bureau chief, and in addition to covering daily news events, he writes a weekly column that appears on the newspaper's Sunday editorial page. He has covered many of the personalities and events that are incorporated in the chapters onTexas government. Robison is the coauthor of Government and Politics in the Lone Star State: Theory and Practice.