American Politics

• Provides a balanced consideration of both strengths and weaknesses of the American political system
• Incorporates a historical perspective on the American political system's evolution and its major institutions
• Presents an original treatment of the presidency's evolution, with an emphasis on how American social science has played a role in that process

Readership: General readers and students with an interest in US politics; US politics survey courses; AP US Government & Politics courses, AP US History courses

Richard M. Valelly, Claude C. Smith '14 Professor of Political Science, Swarthmore College, US

Professor of Political Science, Swarthmore College; author, Radicalism in the States: The Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party and the American Political Economy (1989), and The Two Reconstructions: The Struggle for Black Enfranchisement (2004)

List of illustrations
Preface
Chapter 1: Elements of American democracy
Chapter 2: The presidency
Chapter 3: Congress and its bicameralism
Chapter 4: The legislative-executive process
Chapter 5: The Supreme Court
Chapter 6: Bureaucracy
Chapter 7: Public opinion
Chapter 8: Political parties and democratic choices
Chapter 9: The partisan revival
Chapter 10: Political economy
References
Further reading
Index