With a focus on competition for resources, this balanced, but provocative text uses Harold Laswell's classic definition of politics-"Who gets what, when, and how"-as a framework for presenting a clear, cohesive and stimulating introduction to the American political system. Thomas Dye, along with new co-author Bartholomew Sparrow, has written a lively and absorbing narrative examining the struggle for power that is American politics: the participants, the stakes, the processes, and the institutions. Numerous feature boxes explore timely issues, draw cross-cultural comparisons, promote critical thinking, and provoke thoughtful opinions. With the intense political conflict of the most expensive presidential campaign in American history and the hotly-contested primary campaigns that led to the national conventions in 2008,Politics in Americars"stheme of the constant competition for power and resources-"who gets what"-has never been more relevant.