Understanding American Government Book

I read this book in order to prepare for teaching the Extempers at South for various issues. I really enjoyed it; it has a series of scholarly or legal documents on either side of a number of US social and political debates current in the news. The sources they choose are pretty solid overall, both in content and in readability.

The best part of it, is that each issue selected not only addresses the individual particulars, but puts it in context of wider concerns, such as federalism, civil liberties, diplomatic solvency, and so on.