The essentials version of this bestseller in American government has been aggressively revised to provide the most in-depth and current coverage of the 2004 elections, the beginnings of the second George W. Bush administration, and the ongoing wars on terror and in Iraq while also providing expansive new coverage of our system's Constitutional roots. Written with the belief that students must first understand how American government developed to fully understand the issues facing our nation in the 21st century, O'Connor/Sabato offers the strongest coverage of both history and current events on the market today. The new edition provides deeper coverage of both history and events today by exploring the Constitutional roots of our system and how those roots are relevant and often challenged today. The authors also continue their commitment to currency and student-relevance by providing up-to-the-minute coverage of the new Bush administration, the ongoing war in Iraq, etc.