UPDATED! Content has been brought up to date throughout to bring students the most relevant information in political science Chapter 1 opens with a discussion of political theory and how political science contrasts with history and journalism. UPDATED! Chapter 4 explores the difference between free speech and hate speech in relation to the Charlie Hebdo murders of 2015 in France. UPDATED! Chapter 5 begins with an exploration of recent Hong Kong protests, illustrating the struggle for democracy. A discussion of how opportunism and corruption undermine Communist regimes has been added. UPDATED! Chapter 7 on public opinion has been revised by Jonathan Williamson, a pollster himself. Chapter 10 raises questions about the relevance of U.S. political parties by discussing the rise of the tea party and super-PACs. UPDATED! Chapter 11 explains the increasing importance of non-white voters and how realignments might evolve more slowly than expected. UPDATED! Chapter 12 examines incomprehensible, overlong legislation. UPDATED! Chapter 13 features Fukuyama’s thesis that uncorrupt, merit-based bureaucracies are the basis of good governance. UPDATED! Chapter 16 places more emphasis on the negative results of the Arab Spring and the rise of ISIS. UPDATED! Chapter 17 explains the dangers of a potential cold war with Russia and China. UPDATED! Pedagogical features enhance student learning and engagement Learning Objectives at the beginning of each chapter help students prepare for exams and quizzes by summarizing main chapter content. Box in chapter 3 explains Francis Fukuyama’s three-step theory of the origins of political order. Box in chapter 6, “The three Israelis”, shows how successive waves of immigrants brought distinct political cultures to Israel. UPDATED! Key Concepts have been integrated into the text’s narrative.