For the People

Written and developed specifically for the introductory American government and politics course, For the People promotes the view that politics is enthralling and students can be inspired to exercise the responsibilities of citizenship every day. From the first chapter, which includes an assessment of the impact of government on the daily lives of average citizens, to the concluding chapter, which analyzes the concept of equality in American life, Harlan Hahn and Judson Jeffries encourage students to study political events and processes as they affect citizens in their everyday lives and over the course of their lifetimes. The authors address all of the topics typically found in an introductory course on American politics, such as the Constitution and Bill of Rights; political parties, elections, and interest groups; the major institutions of the federal government; and public policy. But Hahn and Jeffries also infuse these lessons with an engaging message that inspires lifelong involvement in American government and politics.

The late Harlan Hahn was professor of political science at University of Southern California. He specialized in American and urban politics and was an activist and leading authority on disability rights, as well as one of the founders of disability studies. His numerous books include Pulitzer Prize–nominated Ghetto Revolts: The Politics of Violence in American Cities; Disabled Persons and Earthquake Hazards; and Urban America and Its Police: From the Postcolonial Era through the Turbulent 1960s.

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Judson L. Jeffries teaches in the Department of African American and African Studies at The Ohio State University and serves as the director of the Community Extension Center. Prior to joining OSU, Jeffries was an associate professor of political science and homeland security studies at Purdue University. His publications include Comrades: A Local History of the Black Panther Party and Virginia’s Native Son: The Election and Administration of L. Douglas Wilder.