The Realities of Redistricting: Following the Rules and Limiting Gerrymandering in State Legislative Redistricting Book

I've taught Introduction to American Politics a lot over time, and I've tried many textbooks. Some have bombed, some have resonated with students, and many get just a so-so reception. But here is one that is genuinely intriguing. How will students--and others interested in studying American politics--respond? I don't know, but I think that this has a chance of generating more interest among readers than most texts would.

It's printed almost in a magazine format, making it less forbidding than the standard hard cover, hundreds upon hundreds of pages textbook. That may provide more of a sense of accessibility and break down some initial barriers. The authors explicitly set out to create a different kind of text. As they say on the inside cover: "You convinced us that there had to be a better way to get across the fundamental concepts of American democracy and what it means to be an American citizen."

The content is pretty standard--chapters on citizenship, the Constitution, federalism, civil rights and liberties, public opinion, and so on. Chapter by chapter coverage hits the normal subjects. However, chapters feature some extras that might well make this book more attractive to students (and any others who want to learn more about American politics): there are little vignettes about real people and how politics interacts with them, to personalize the subject; hints on how to get involved in politics; comparisons with other countries; hot pepper questions to get readers to think about issues; lots of colorful photos; graphs and tables presenting information in a compelling manner.

So, this is a different kind of textbook in American politics. But it is fascinating. I'm going to be interested in seeing how well this "sells." I suspect that many students will find this a refreshing change of pace.