United States Government: Democracy in Action encourages critical thinking, emphasizes key government concepts, and relates the institutions of government to everyday life. Beginning with several lessons on the historical foundations of our democracy, the text then focuses a unit of study on each of the major branches of government: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. Later units focus on state and local government, public services, and alternative political systems in countries throughout the modern world. The big ideas covered in this textbook include: comparative government, political processes, federalism, civil rights, public policy, civic participation, checks and balances, cultural pluralism, global perspectives. - Publisher.