Few other government documents have influenced history as much as the U.S. Constitution. It laid the groundwork for the most stable democratic government in the world and provided inspiration to people struggling for freedom everywhere. How the Constitution Was Created traces the development of this four-page, handwritten document from its roots in the Declaration of Independence to its impact today. Interwoven throughout are the intriguing stories of the men who became symbols of the Constitution and their roles in the birth of a new nation.

Third parties exist on the very edge of mainstream politics. They enter candidates in elections they cannot hope to win. They champion issues the major parties are sometimes reluctant to touch. But third parties serve America well, for they are often the voice of change and the front-runners of progress. Beginning with the Tertium Quids in 1806 and continuing to today's Green Party, this book chronicles third parties and their increasing visibility in the American political system.

The impeachment process is one of the most serious government proceedings in the United States. It can result in the trial and conviction of a U.S. president and immediate removal from office. Despite all the drama, intrigue, and gravity that surround this remarkable judicial process, impeachment is not well understood by most Americans. The Impeachment Process dispels common myths while setting forth a clear definition of what it means for a president to be impeached.

For a piece of legislation to become an official law in the United States, it must first undergo a long and complex process involving two branches of the government: the legislative and the executive. How a Law Is Passed puts students right where the law-making action is by tracking the progress of laws, from proposals in Congress, through debates in the House of Representatives and the Senate, to approval by the president.