The Struggle for Democracy, 14th edition
Published by Pearson (May 8, 2025) © 2026
  • Edward S. Greenberg
  • Benjamin I. Page
  • David Doherty
  • Scott L. Minkoff
  • Josh M. Ryan

Title overview

For courses in American Government.

Explain how American democracy is developing

The Struggle for Democracy helps students decode the American political system and identify opportunities to make a difference. The authors present an accessible, evidence-based framework that shows how government, politics and the larger society are intertwined. Prompting students to make critical judgments, the authors pose the questions “How democratic are we?” and “Can government do anything well?”

The 14th Edition offers coverage of the 2024 presidential and congressional elections, recent Supreme Court decisions, and contemporary issues such as globalization and technological advancement.

Hallmark features of this title

  • The Applying the Framework model is a unique visual tool that maps out the many influences that shape the American political process. Building on the deep structures that underlie American government (the economy, society, political culture and constitutional rules), this model fosters a holistic understanding of American politics.
  • A Using the Democracy Standard section presents a normative democracy “yardstick,” and prompts students to assess the degree to which the US has become more or less democratic.
  • Chapter-opening stories show why the principal topic of the chapter matters to the citizens of our American democracy.
  • Graphs, tables and maps help students extract insights from data that drives political decision making and government action.

New and updated features of this title

  • UPDATED: The 14th Edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect important events through the 2024 election. The data in the figures and tables has been updated with the intention of helping readers think critically about political decisions in retrospect as well as pending government action. The text offers new and updated coverage of the following key topics:
    • The 2024 national election, with discussion of the consequences for Congress, the impact on the presidency and bureaucratic outcomes
    • Important rulings by the Supreme Court on religious liberty, LGBTQ+ rights and more
    • The complex and shifting relationships with America's traditional allies, and with North Korea, Iran, China and Russia
    • Key contemporary issues such as globalization and technological advancement

Key features

Features of Revel for the 14th 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.
  • Current Events Bulletins bring currency into your classroom with author-written articles that connect key concepts with real-life current events. New or revised articles added regularly help students engage with the course.
  • Current news footage and short documentary videos bring both recent and historical events to life.
  • 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.
  • Author-narrated Why It Matters videos at the end of each chapter enable students to view key concepts in a real-world context.

Table of contents

Part 1. Introduction: Main Themes

  1. Democracy and American Politics

Part 2. Structure

  1. The Constitution
  2. Federalism: States and Nation
  3. The Structural Foundations of American Government and Politics

Part 3. Political Linkage

  1. Public Opinion
  2. The News Media
  3. Interest Groups and Business Power
  4. Social Movements
  5. Political Parties
  6. Voting, Campaigns and Elections

Part 4. Government and Governing

  1. Congress
  2. The Presidency
  3. The Executive Branch
  4. The Courts

Part 5. What Government Does

  1. Civil Liberties: The Struggle for Freedom
  2. Civil Rights: The Struggle for Political Equality
  3. Domestic Policy
  4. Foreign and National Defense Policies

Author bios

About our authors

Edward S. Greenberg, senior author, is Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Research Professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Ed’s research and teaching interests include American government and politics, domestic and global political economy, and democratic theory and practice, with a special emphasis on workplace issues. His multi-year longitudinal panel study, funded by the NIH, examining the impact of technological change and the globalization of production on Boeing managers and employees, has been reported in more than a dozen journal articles and in his book Turbulence: Boeing and the State of American Workers and Managers (Yale University Press, 2010, coauthored with Leon Grunberg, Sarah Moore and Pat Sikora).

David Doherty, coauthor, is Professor of Political Science at Loyola University Chicago. David’s research and teaching interest focus on both elite and mass political behavior. His research has appeared in top political science journals including the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics and other venues. His book, Small Power: How Local Parties Shape Elections (Oxford University Press, 2022), examines the role local party organizations play in the electoral process.

Scott L. Minkoff, coauthor, is Associate Professor of Political Science at the State University of New York, New Paltz. Scott teaches courses on American government, public policy and research methods. His research focuses on the geography of American politics and policy, and his work has appeared in American Politics Research, Urban Affairs Review, and Political Geography. Scott is also coauthor of the book Politics on Display: Yard Signs and the Politicization of Social Spaces (Oxford University Press, 2019).

Josh M. Ryan, coauthor, is Associate Professor of Political Science at Utah State University. Josh’s research focuses on American institutions, especially Congress, the president, state legislatures and executives, as well as electoral institutions. He teaches courses on American politics and research methods. His research has appeared in The Journal of Politics, Legislative Studies Quarterly and other venues. He has twice received the Jewell-Loewenberg Award from the Legislative Studies Section of APSA. He is also the author of the book The Congressional Endgame (University of Chicago Press, 2018).

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