Government by the People, 28th edition
Published by Pearson (May 18, 2025) © 2026
  • David B. Magleby
  • Paul C. Light
  • Christine L. Nemacheck
  • Christina Wolbrecht

Title overview

For courses in American Government.

Influence students to act by exploring American politics through the Constitution

Government by the People: Structure, Action and Impact provides a constitutional anchor for critical thinking that helps students become informed participants in the decisions and processes of our democracy. The authors show students the stake they have in our government and help them see how they can impact the future of their community, the nation and the world.

The 28th Edition offers coverage of the 2024 presidential and congressional elections, as well as analysis of issues such as immigration, legislative gridlock and the role of the judiciary in election controversies.

Hallmark features of this title

  • The authors begin with coverage of the nation’s constitutional foundations and the basic elements of our federalist system.
  • Discussions of geography, demographics and the economy help students see how these factors impact American government.
  • Chapters on American political institutions help students understand the workings of Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy and policy process, and the judiciary.
  • The text examines other key American government topics such as political parties, interest groups, elections, the media, and civil rights and liberties, as well as economic, social, defense and foreign policies.
  • Key terms are defined in the margins and repeated at the end of each chapter and in the glossary for easy reference.

New and updated features of this title

  • UPDATED: The 28th Edition has been updated to reflect the latest scholarship on American politics. The authors have updated the tables and figures throughout the text to provide the most recent information available on topics like spending by Super PACs in recent elections, changes in the Supreme Court’s caseload and the public’s evolving views on abortion access. The text offers new and updated coverage of the following key topics:
    • The 2024 presidential and congressional elections
    • The Supreme Court’s recent decisions on abortion and affirmative action in college admissions, as well as the evolving role of the judiciary
    • The latest on immigration, particularly on the southern border of the US
    • The increasing roles of the internet and social media in politics, particularly with the advancements in artificial intelligence

Key features

Features of Revel for the 28th Edition

  • NEW: American Government simulations immerse students in realistic political scenarios, challenging them to make strategic decisions based on historical contexts. These auto-graded simulations allow readers to see the impact of their decisions on real-world outcomes. Topics include Candidate for Congress, The Electoral College, How to Use Your Vote and more.
  • NEW: Podcasts in several chapters explore topics such as federalism and the pandemic response and focusing youth activism on elections.
  • Current Events Bulletins bring currency into your classroom with author-written articles that connect key concepts with real-life current events. Topics include fake news, affirmative action in college admissions and polarization in the American electorate. New or revised articles added regularly help students engage with the course.
  • Pearson Originals for Political Science videos illustrate complex concepts like federalism and gerrymandering in a simplified and entertaining way.
  • Politics Hidden in Plain Sight videos show students how politics influences the activities of their daily lives.
  • Explanatory videos, 2 per chapter, bring to life topics such as reapportionment and redistricting and PACs and Super PACs.

Table of contents

Part 1. Constitutional Principle

  1. Constitutional Democracy
  2. Constitutional Foundations
  3. American Federalism

Part 2. The Political Process

  1. The American Political Landscape
  2. Interest Groups
  3. Political Parties
  4. Public Opinion, Ideology, Participation and Voting
  5. Campaigns and Elections
  6. The Media and US Politics

Part 3. Policy-Making Institutions

  1. Congress
  2. The Presidency
  3. The Federal Bureaucracy and Public Policy
  4. The Judiciary

Part 4. Rights and Liberties

  1. Civil Liberties
  2. Civil Rights

Part 5. The Politics of National Policy

  1. Economic and Social Policy
  2. Foreign and Defense Policy

Author bios

About our authors

David B. Magleby is an emeritus distinguished professor of political science at Brigham Young University (BYU). He has been an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow as well as a Fulbright Scholar. He is recognized for his expertise on direct democracy, voting behavior and campaign finance. Dave is also the recipient of many teaching awards, including the 1990 Utah Professor of the Year Award, the 2001 Rowman & Littlefield Award for Innovative Teaching in Political Science, as well as several department and university awards. He served as president of Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honor society, and as Interim Executive Director of that organization.

Paul C. Light is the Paulette Goddard Professor of Public Service Emeritus at New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service and the founding principal investigator for the Global Center for Public Service. In 2015, he received the American Political Science Association John Gaus Award for exemplary scholarship in political science and public administration. He has worked on Capitol Hill as a senior committee staffer in the US Senate and as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow in the US House of Representatives. Paul is the founding director of the Brookings Institution’s Center for Public Service and continues his research on how to invite Americans to serve their communities through public service.

Christine L. Nemacheck is an associate professor of government at William & Mary, where she directs the William & Mary Legal Scholars Program and co-directs the H. Stewart Dunn Jr. Civil Liberties Project. Her research focuses on judicial selection, judicial federalism and the role of the courts in a separation of powers system. Chris has received a number of awards for her teaching and research, including the Alumni Fellowship Award for excellence in teaching at William & Mary. She is a past director of William & Mary’s Center for the Liberal Arts and a former co-editor of the Pi Sigma Alpha Undergraduate Journal of Politics.

Christina Wolbrecht is a professor of political science and the C. Robert and Margaret Hanley Family director of the Notre Dame Washington Program as well as an affiliated faculty member in the Gender Studies Program and a faculty fellow of the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights. Her expertise is in the areas of American politics, gender/women and politics, political parties, and American political development. She is the author of several award-winning books on women’s participation in elections and on women’s rights. She is the president of the Midwest Political Science Association and co-editor of the book series Cambridge Studies in Gender and Politics, as well as a former co-editor of the journal Politics & Gender.

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