For 30 years, DEMOCRACY UNDER PRESSURE has provided over a million students with a comprehensive, thorough look at the fundamentals of American government. Cummings and Wise pair lively narrative with exemplary scholarship to convey a balanced, realistic sense of political history and to describe the institutions of American government. The authors treat the theme of democracy under pressure throughout the text, examining the way democracy responds to the needs and demands of various groups over time. The text is developed around a systems approach, a framework of analysis that discusses various elements of the political process in terms of inputs and outputs. Thoroughly rewritten, updated, and streamlined, the authors focus on currency and on the gap between theory and reality in government and the political system. They introduce students to important theoretical concepts while clarifying issues with examples of government in action. Democracy Under Pressure is an excellent primary textbook for introduction to American government courses. It may also be used as a supplementary text for intermediate-level survey courses in American government or other specialized American government course.