New American Government Text Speaks to Young Voters Who Voted for President in Record Numbers

Young Americans turned out in record numbers for the 2008 presidential election, with 3.4 million more voters (ages 18-29) than in the last election. The Obama campaign effectively connected with the digital generation's desire for immediate information and the viral nature of social networking. Keeping pace with this generation's need for up-to-date, easy-to-access information and its interactive, digital learning styles, McGraw-Hill Higher Education has published AM GOV 2009, the second edition of this introductory-level, magazine-style American Government text.

AM GOV presents the fundamentals of American democracy and moves students to understand how they can have an informed and active role in their own democracy. It is one of the first higher educational resources for an introductory American government course to cover the historic 2008 presidential election.

"AM GOV 2009, written by two accomplished political scientists, Joseph Losco and Ralph Baker, pairs McGraw-Hill's high quality educational content with a modern, innovative editorial style for today's students," said Steve Debow, president of McGraw-Hill Higher Education's Humanities, Social Sciences and World Languages Group. "Students using the book say they absorb information more effectively because AM GOV looks 'more like what they read' outside of class and the content better relates to their real lives than do most traditional textbooks."

When creating AM GOV, McGraw-Hill went beyond traditional classroom tests and student surveys to better understand the learning methods and needs of students today. More than 200 college students were studied using techniques such as direct observation, video and audio recording, and journaling. An additional 4,000 students participated in numerous in-depth ethnographic research studies to provide the AM GOV development team with an understanding of how students approach a lecture, project, paper or test, and how to design content to meet their needs and learning styles.

An important feature of the new AM GOV edition, and for any students now using McGraw-Hill American Government content, is exclusive access to National Journal's "Insight for Insiders." A news source that has been providing unbiased reporting on the politics inside the Washington, D.C., beltway since 1969, National Journal is the source of information for today's policy makers and now provides students invaluable insight that was previously reserved for Washington politicos. National Journal articles, which have been edited for undergraduates to highlight key political issues, people and policies, and provide up-to-date examples and content, appear in every chapter of the AM GOV text as well as online in weekly articles.

"AM GOV encourages students to access information and participate in the political process in their own ways -- through social networks, blogs, text messaging and YouTube," said Debow. "While most texts make an effort to relate concepts to students' lives, they often miss the mark by using examples that are more traditional: campaigning, protesting and letter writing. Today's students and the President-elect understand that participation means so much more to this powerful group of voters. We have created content that mirrors this conviction."

AM GOV contextualizes the foundations, policies and practice of American Government into a user-friendly format for professors and students. The soft-cover, 'magazine-style' textbook includes extremely current glossy photos, contextual photographs in tables and charts, and content divided into manageable sections. The content is strategically based on the design and feel of consumer magazines and Web sites students are reading outside of the classroom -- a concept devised by the development team to further relate the content to modern students.

AM GOV will be revised annually. For more information, please visit www.mhhe.com/policentral.

About McGraw-Hill Higher Education

McGraw-Hill Higher Education is a premier provider of teaching and learning solutions for the post-secondary and higher education markets worldwide. It is a unit of McGraw-Hill Education, a leading global provider of instructional, assessment and reference solutions that empower professionals and students of all ages. McGraw-Hill Education has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 60 languages. Additional information is available at http://www.mheducation.com/.

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SOURCE: McGraw-Hill Higher Education

CONTACT: Tom Stanton, McGraw-Hill Education, +1-212-904-3214,
tom_stanton@mcgraw-hill.com

Web Site: http://www.mheducation.com/