2Informed citizens need to distinguish fact from opinion, truth from fiction, and news from noise. This edition of American Politics Today provides students with even more tools they can use to cut through the clamor and understand how politics really works, including a new online InQuizitive module and an infographic in the text that introduces best practices for evaluating political reports in the media. By breaking down the basics of American government into easily understood processes and procedures, and by teaching students how to assess sources of political information, students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to unpack the headlines and make sense of American politics now and in the future.