This reference resource combines unique historical analysis, scholarly essays, and primary source documents to explore the evolution of ideas and institutions that have shaped American government and Americans' political behavior.

One of the most active and revealing approaches to research into the American political system is one that focuses on political development, an approach that combines the tools of the political scientist and the historian. A History of the U.S. Political System: Ideas, Interests, and Institutions is the first comprehensive resource that uses this approach to explore the evolution of the American political system from the adoption of the Constitution to the present.



A History of the U.S. Political System is a three-volume collection of original essays and primary documents that examines the ideas, institutions, and policies that have shaped American government and politics throughout its history. The first volume is issues-oriented, covering governmental and nongovernmental institutions as well as key policy areas. The second volume examines America's political development historically, surveying its dynamic government era by era. Volume three is a collection of documentary materials that supplement and enhance the reader's experience with the other volumes.









Over 50 contributors, including a mix of distinguished and cutting-edge political scientists and historians



Nearly 200 primary sources, including Federalist and Anti-Federalist writings, presidential speeches, and landmark Supreme Court cases



Classic engravings and political cartoons aligned with key periods in American political development



Tables of presidents and congressional leadership and maps showing electoral votes over time



Name and subject indexes for each volume