The governed must know their government. Understanding how our government functions and the political forces that influence it is vital for all Americans. As a comprehensive overview and history of the subject, this book is designed to help anyone interested in learning about our government and the origins of its complex inner workings, our political system, and key elements that have affected our growth as a nation- all while serving as the best supplementary reading a student can get. *Author is an experienced Advanced Placement teacher *Students looking to take AP exams are a ready audience-along with citizenship applicants and CNN junkies *Large renewable market *Suitable as supplemental reading for coursework