Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more
Just Published
Cover of This Land Is Your Land : Introduction to American Government and Politics v3.0
Published
November 2025
Page Count
504
ISBN (Digital)
979-8-88794-549-1

This Land Is Your Land : Introduction to American Government and Politics New: AI-powered guidance within our eReader New: Textbook audio in 32 languages and dialects (upon request) New: Podcasts Available

Version 3.0
By Martin Saiz and Jennifer L. De Maio

Included Supplements

Homework icon Homework Manual icon Manual Slides icon Slides Tests icon Tests And more! icon

Key Features

  • Views the American political system through the lens of self-interest integrated with the full range of influences, including institutions, history, and culture, for a more well-rounded understanding 
  • Written with a bottom-up or “individual-up” view of the American political system, starting with voting and ending with the three major institutions of Congress, the Presidency, and the Judiciary
  • Presents the overall legal framework of the American political system, that follow from the fundamental elements of the Constitution
  • Chapters on political parties, interest groups, and the media illuminate how these institutions connect citizens and their representatives, making civic participation more cost effective
  • Strong coverage of judicial selection and the role of state courts
  • Chapters on domestic and foreign policy provide insights into how the government accomplishes its goals at home and abroad
  • Supportive learning structure includes end-of-chapter features that review main points, encourage critical reflection, and challenge readers to imagine how the American political system could become more democratic
    • Chapter Objectives
    • Introduction
    • Over 55 embedded hyperlinks to streaming videos enrich hybrid and online courses, engage students, and reinforce or augment many of the presented topics
    • Chapter Summary
    • What Can I Do? features suggest practical ways in which students can make a difference in their communities or influence the political system
    • What’s the Alternative? features provide thought-provoking insights into how our political system might be differently structured to become more democratic
  • Customizable

Educators

Request Examination Copy Read Online Adopt This Book Customize This Book

Students

Online Access Price
$33.95 ($44.50 CAD)
Color Printed Textbook with Online Access Price
$60.95 ($78.25 CAD)
Buy This Book Redeem My Code

This Land Is Your Land: Introduction to American Government and Politics is suitable for United States Government and Politics or American Government and Politics courses at the undergraduate level at two- and four-year colleges and universities.

This Land Is Your Land: Introduction to American Government and Politics appeals to a wide range of students, both non-majors and majors, from across the political spectrum. This text covers the full range of topics included in introductory and survey courses on American government and politics. By concisely exploring the historical context, it sets the stage for a richer understanding of how today’s political system functions and institutions are evolving. The authors do not advance a certain agenda about how students should participate in the political system, rather, readers are encouraged to explore and understand different levels of active citizenship so they may choose the path that is right for themselves.

New in This Version

Overall: Updated statistics and data, new court cases, and refreshed links to streaming videos

By Chapter

Chapter 3: Federalism: Two Governments Governing the Same Area

  • New chapter introduction on reproductive rights
  • New chapter objective
  • New links added for Supreme Court cases mentioned in text
  • Expanded "Moving Some Power Back to the States" subsection (Section 3.3)
  • Replaced Figure 3.3, Cooperative Federalism
  • New/updated examples in "Policy Effects" (Section 3.4)
  • New/updated example in "Cutthroat Competition" (Section 3.4)

Chapter 4: Civil Liberties: Necessary for Democracy to Exist

  • New introduction focusing on the 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis Supreme Court case
  • Updated Table 4.1, Murder Rates in Countries with Restrictions on Gun Ownership
  • Updated school and mass shooting information 
  • New Figure 4.3, Views on Abortion, 1995–2024 
  • New discussion of Dobbs v. Jackson (Section 4.6)

Chapter 5: Civil Rights: Necessary for Equal Treatment

  • Affirmative action discussion updated to reflect latest Supreme Court rulings (Section 5.2)
  • Updated figures on racial and gender representation in government offices (Section 5.3)
  • Updated discussion of Latine and civil rights (Section 5.4)
  • Updated discussion of LGBTQ+ and civil rights (Section 5.5)
  • Updated Figure 5.3, Women's Political Empowerment Index, 2024

Chapter 6: Public Opinion: Even the Busiest American Has One

  • New chapter introduction on the “Big Lie” 
  • Updated definitions and names of generations used in public opinion research (Section 6.3)
  • Updated or new Figures 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3
  • Updated political attitudes on major demographic, racial, religious, geographic, and socioeconomic groups (Sections 6.2–6.5)
  • Updated changes related to partisan identification and ideology

Chapter 7: Citizen Participation and Voting: America Checks the Fluids

  • New introduction with campaign ad video links
  • Updated or new Figures 7.1, 7.2, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, and 7.8 
  • Revised/updated discussion of the Electoral College (Section 7.3)
  • Discussion of rational voting condensed (Section 7.4)
  • Expanded discussion of political polarization (Section 7.5) with new Figures 7.6 and 7.7 
  • Updated discussion of partisan identification and loyalty (Section 7.5)

Chapter 8: Political Parties: Making Politics Cost Effective

  • Updated discussion of major demographic, racial, religious, geographic, and socioeconomic groups and partisan identifications changes
  • Updated or new Figures 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3
  • Updated Table 8.1, Percentage of the Two-Party Vote for President by Party Since 1872
  • Updated Table 8.2, Percentage of the Two-Party Vote in House of Representatives Since 1940
  • Updated Table 8.3, Selected Comparison of Democratic and Republican Platforms
  • Updated discussion of changes in party control of Congress and the Presidency (Section 8.5)
  • Updated discussion of “The Case for Radicalization” (Section 8.6)
  • Updated discussion of “Today’s Parties” (Section 8.7)

Chapter 9: Interest Groups: Effective Participation with an Upper-Class Bias

  • New chapter introduction on the AARP 
  • New Table 9.1, Groups Organized for Representation in Washington
  • New Figure 9.1, Spending on Lobbying by Sector, 2024

Chapter 10: Media: Biased or a Business?

  • New introduction focusing on the media and (mis)information about Haitian immigrants in the 2024 presidential election
  • Updated Figures 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4
  • Updated discussion of digital media to include latest figures and discussion of President Trump’s use of social media platforms to communicate policy decisions
  • Updated discussion of “Media and Elections” to reflect the role played by media in the most recent elections (Section 10.5)

Chapter 11: The U.S. Congress: We Love Our Representative, but Not the Institution

  • Updated or new Figures 11.1, 11.3, 11.4, 11.8, 11.12, and 11.13 
  • Updated discussion of major demographic, racial, religious, and socioeconomic changes in the 119th Congress (Section 11.3)

Chapter 12: The President: Hoping for a Hero

  • New chapter introduction on the return of Donald Trump
  • Updated or new Figures 12.1, 12.2, and 12.3

Chapter 13: Bureaucracy: Who Is Really Doing the Work?

  • New introduction focusing on the bureaucratic challenges during COVID-19
  • New discussions of changes to the federal bureaucracy introduced by President Trump, including the establishment of DOGE (Section 13.2)
  • Updated Figures 13.2 and 13.4

Chapter 14: The Federal Courts: Unelected but Powerful

  • Dobbs v. Jackson integrated throughout
  • Updated Figure 14.1, Appeals Court Cases Filed 
  • Updated to reflect current composition of the Supreme Court (Section 14.5)

Chapter 15: Domestic Policy: Taking Care of Things at Home

  • New discussion of 1992 military intervention of Somalia as example of media agenda setting (Section 15.1)
  • Updated or new Figures 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, and 15.5 
  • Updated discussion of U.S. tax rates versus OECD countries (Section 15.3)

Chapter 16: Foreign Policy: Engaging in the Global Community

  • Updated Table 16.1, Global Nuclear Warheads Inventories, 2025
  • Updated discussion of debates around free trade, protectionism, and tariffs
  • Updated or new Figures 16.4, 16.5, and 16.6

FlatWorld Homework icon

FlatWorld Homework

FlatWorld Homework includes multi-format questions written specifically for your FlatWorld book, which you can access through our stand-alone interface or integrate with your learning management system.

Instructor’s Manual icon

Instructor’s Manual

The Instructor’s Manual guides you through the main concepts of each chapter and important elements such as learning objectives, key terms, and key takeaways. Can include answers to chapter exercises, group activity suggestions, and discussion questions.

PowerPoint Lecture Notes icon

PowerPoint Lecture Notes

A PowerPoint presentation highlighting key learning objectives and the main concepts for each chapter are available for you to use in your classroom. You can either cut and paste sections or use the presentation as a whole.

Test Item File icon

Test Item File

Need assistance in supplementing your quizzes and tests? Our test-item files (in Word format) contain many multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short-answer questions.

Sample Syllabi icon

Sample Syllabi

Sample syllabi provide useful templates to help new faculty adopters revise their teaching plans to match their assigned FlatWorld textbook or lend insights to existing adopters on how to organize their classes.

Download

At FlatWorld, we take pride in providing a range of high-quality supplements alongside our titles, to help instructors teach effectively. Supplements are available for instructors who have registered their adoption with us. If you need to review or preview something specific, please contact us.

Sign Up for FlatWorld

Already registered? Sign in here.

Martin Saiz

California State University - Northridge

Martin Saiz (PhD University of Colorado at Boulder, 1992) is professor emeritus of political science and the former chair of the Political Science Department at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Professor Saiz joined the CSUN faculty in 1999 after teaching for seven years with the Department of Government and International Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Prior to teaching, Professor Saiz directed small town and neighborhood community service centers for the Center for Community Development and Design at the University of Colorado at Denver. There, he helped local organizations develop problem-solving capacities doing neighborhood revitalization projects together with graduate design and planning students. He was appointed to the Denver Planning Commission and served two four-year terms during which he developed insights into real world political processes. 

Martin has taught American government and politics for thirty-two years. He writes extensively on issues of urban politics, political parties, economic development, and education policy. His articles have been published in the Journal of Politics, Urban Affairs Review, Political Research Quarterly, Policy Studies Journal, Economic Development Quarterly, Journal of Urban Affairs, California Policy Issues Annual, Thought & Action: The Higher Education Journal of the National Education Association, as well as in other books and journals.

Jennifer L. De Maio

California State University - Northridge

Jennifer De Maio (PhD University of California, Los Angeles, 2005) is professor of political science at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). She holds an MSc in international relations from the London School of Economics and a BA in English and history from Georgetown University. Professor De Maio’s research focuses on African politics, specifically on ethnic civil wars and conflict management. She has also published and presented papers on elections and the use of social media, transnationalized violence, the relationship between urban space and conflict management, women and conflict, and sustainable development in Africa, including the 2023 co-edited book Critical Dimensions of African Studies: Re-Membering Africa and the 2019 co-edited volume Sustainability in Sub-Saharan Africa: Problems, Perspectives, and Prospects. Professor De Maio’s first book, Confronting Ethnic Conflict: The Role of Third Parties in Managing Africa’s Civil Wars, was published in 2009. Before beginning a career in academia, she worked as a journalist for ABC News and NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation.

Jennifer has taught Introduction to American Politics for more than eighteen years and brings a unique perspective to the subject that allows her to incorporate research from the comparative politics and international relations fields. She regularly participates in teaching conferences and workshops focused on pedagogy. She uses the classroom as a stage on which the students are “spect-actors” actively involved in the learning process.

question_mark

Confirmation

Are you sure?