American Political Institutions: A Black Perspective introduces students to the American political system, and demonstrates how African Americans have fit themselves into that system and contributed to its successful evolution.

The text addresses two issues simultaneously. How should students be introduced to the basics of American politics as more than a stagnant study in political ancestry? What are the contributions of Black Americans to our political history and story beyond just the Civil Rights Movement?

Readers will be introduced to African-American perspectives on the operation of government, the impact of the Bill of Rights, and Black political parties, factions, and activity. Other topics include civil rights and civil liberties, interest groups and bureaucracies, Black political analysis of the Civil Rights Movement, and Black political participation. Closing chapters examine the election of Barack Obama, and the current state of Black American politics.

American Political Institutions: A Black Perspective both deepens and broadens reader's understanding of our political system and our past. It can be used in introductory courses in American politics and government.