Whether reading today's political news blog or last century's speeches on suffrage, sifting facts from hyperbole and analysis from opinion is a real challenge for students. Keeping the Republic's lively discussion of "who gets what and how" develops their critical thinking abilities so they aren't just memorizing details or passively reading. Every section and every feature in the book has one goal in mind: to get students to think critically and be skeptical of received wisdom. Serving as a true aid to teachers, each chapter is designed to build the students' analytical abilities. By introducing them to the seminal work in the field and showing them how to employ the themes of power and citizenship, this proven text builds confidence in students who want to take an active part in their communities and government- to play their part in keeping the republic, and to consider the consequences of that engagement (or lack thereof).

In this fifth edition, students will find discussion of the Obama administration’s early successes and setbacks, of how Congress fared under Democratic majorities, of the 2010 midterm election results, and of the lasting and lingering effects of the Great Recession, health care reform passage, two ongoing wars, the BP oil spill, and a fast-changing mass media climate.

Bright, bold colors give the book’s new interior design a jumpstart. Bigger photos visually grab students, but it’s the innovative treatment of key terms, the ability to discern the chapter’s structure from clear headings, and the colorful, but cohesive layout of the features that compel students to read every page.

Successful teachers know that pedagogy matters in the classroom. Barbour and Wright have carefully crafted each sidebar, box, and profile to further students’ analytic sensibilities and develop critical thinking skills.

• What’s at Stake?-What’s at Stake Revisited vignettes bookend each chapter asking students to think about what people are struggling to get from politics and how the rules affect the outcome of that struggle.
• Consider the Source unpacks a method for assessing different types of political information: look for bias, lay out the argument, uncover evidence, and sort out political implications.
• Who are We? graphically displays a wealth of demographic data. Students evaluate charts, figures, and maps to explore the effect diversity plays on our ideas of government’s role in our lives.
• Profiles in Citizenship feature advice about the various ways students can enter public life and make a difference. Insight from figures such as Sandra Day O’Connor, Bill Richardson, Newt Gingrich, and Bill Maher captivate students’ imagination.
• Who, What, How, and WHEN timelines show how key issues in our politi-cal history wax and wane as power shifts and opportunities arise.

Instructors will also appreciate the additional elements strategically placed throughout the text that support close and engaged reading:

• Marginal glossary definitions allow students to easily reference key terms.
• Thinking Outside the Box questions challenge students’ assumptions and provoke thoughtful responses and discussion.
• To Sum Up sections at the end of chapters include a list of key terms, bulleted list summaries, quiz questions, and suggestions of print, video, and online resources that students might read, watch, or click on.

In this fifth edition, students will find discussion of the Obama administration’s early successes and setbacks, of how Congress fared under Democratic majorities, of the 2010 midterm election results, and of the lasting and lingering effects of the Great Recession, health care reform passage, two ongoing wars, the BP oil spill, and a fast-changing mass media climate.

Bright, bold colors give the book’s new interior design a jumpstart. Bigger photos visually grab students, but it’s the innovative treatment of key terms, the ability to discern the chapter’s structure from clear headings, and the colorful, but cohesive layout of the features that compel students to read every page.

CQ Press is pleased to comply with the Higher Education Opportunity Act. Please email heoacompliance@cqpress.com for additional information that may be available. Be sure to include your name, contact information, academic affiliation, and the title, author, and edition of the book in question.

Contact us at collegesales@cqpress.com if we may assist you in your book selection or if you have feedback to share. Thank you for your consideration of CQ Press books.

1.  Who Gets What, and How?
2.  American Citizens and Political Culture
3.  Politics of the American Founding
4.  Federalism and the Constitution
5.  Fundamental American Liberties
6.  The Struggle for Equal Rights
7.  Congress
8.  The Presidency
9.  The Bureaucracy
10. The American Legal System and the Courts
11. Public Opinion
12. Political Parties
13. Interest Groups
14. Voting, Campaigns, and Elections
15. The Media

"KTR’s pedagogical features tie in very well with the themes of the book. I think they are especially strong in encouraging critical thinking. My students really like the book; they generally feel that it is well written and has an appealing design. I think that KTR is much more readable and easier for students to understand than many of the other books I considered for my class."

"Without compromising the necessary breadth for an introductory text, KTR excels in providing a refreshing level of depth to political analysis. The “Who, What, How” sections masterfully tie the major points of each section into the broader themes of the book. The authors also present the important points of each section in a concise paragraph or two allowing students to ensure that they are picking up the most important material."

"KTR’s thematic framework parallels my class's structure well and gives students a lot of ways to relate the material to their lives and provide relevance. The text offers ample opportunity to engage the student in interesting and attractive pieces, and it provides a lively and interactive discussion format. I especially appreciate the “Thinking Outside the Box” sections at the end of each chapter, which are great jumping off points for further class or online discussion."

"The Barbour and Wright text is smarter and more thoughtful than most of the competition. They take history and ideas very seriously, yet also demonstrate a fine grasp of the everyday practice of politics. Too often we have a grave misperception of what demographic facts attach to the United States; Keeping the Republic includes features that make clear, via straightforward empirical data, what we look like as a nation. This provides crucial context for making judgments about our politics."

"I love the main pedagogical features of the book. The authors try to appeal to all types of learners. They help model critical thinking and spark seminar discussions in class."

"A lot of textbooks seem to overwhelm students with too much textual content and not enough visual appeal. KTR has a very good balance of both. Of all the introductory political science books available, KTR ranks the highest because of its content and presentation of information."

Christine Barbour teaches in the political science department and the Honors College at Indiana University, where she has become increasingly interested in how teachers of large classes can maximize what their students learn. At Indiana, Professor Barbour has been a Lilly Fellow, working on a project to increase student retention in large introductory courses, and a member of the Freshmen Learning Project, a university-wide effort to improve the first year undergraduate experience. She has served on the New York Times College Advisory Board, working with other educators on developing ways to integrate newspaper reading into the undergraduate curriculum. She has won several teaching awards at Indiana, but the two that mean the most to her were awarded by her students: the Indiana University Student Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Faculty (1995-6) and the Indiana University Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists Brown Derby Award (1997). She is currently working on a book about local politics, development and the fishing industry in Apalachicola, Florida.

Gerald C. Wright has taught political science at Indiana University since 1981. He is an accomplished scholar of American politics—his books include Statehouse Democracy: Public Opinion, and Policy in the American States with co-authors Robert S. Erikson and John P. McIver, and he has published over 40 articles on elections, public opinion, and state politics. He has long studied the relationship between citizens, their preferences and public policy. He is currently conducting research with a grant from the National Science Foundation on what influences the character of policy representation in the states and the U.S. Congress, and he is writing a book about representation in the American legislatures. He has been a consultant for Project Vote Smart in the last several elections. Professor Wright is a member of the Freshmen Learning Project at Indiana University, a university-wide effort to improve the first year undergraduate experience by focusing on how today’s college students learn and how teachers can adapt their pedagogical methods to best teach them.

Critical thinking doesn't stop with the book...

republic.cqpress.com

A full suite of online ancillaries give students the tools they need to succeed. Send your students to the following resources: chapter summaries, review questions, key-term flashcards, crossword puzzles, practice quizzes, interactive exercises, and KTRBlog, author Christine Barbour's regularly updated blog, which ties news events to the themes of the text.

Instructors Resources provide the tools you need, too.

college.cqpress.com/instructors-resources/republic

Online instructor's resources- free to adopters- include a test bank, PowerPoint lecture slides, downloadable graphics from the text, and an instructor's manual with lecture starters, discussion questions, and more.