American Democracy and the Public Good

This brief version of Steven Kelman's AMERICAN DEMOCRACY AND THE PUBLIC GOOD provides students a description and analysis of American government by an experienced teacher, government employee, and active citizen. The author's work in the continuing education of government officials, as well as his personal involvement in the executive branch of government, permeates the text. He offers a refreshing look at how our political system works, the challenge it faces, and how citizens in and out of government strive to improve it. This brief text argues that the guiding principle of government should be to serve the public good. How well government enhances the public good is the quintessential debate of our time, and is consistently addressed by this book.