Introduction

Textbooks on American politics generally come in two styles: there are the weighty, multi-authored volumes written to meet the needs of the Introduction to American Government courses found in almost all American universities and colleges. Then there is the British alternative which is a relatively slim, single-authored volume seemingly aimed at a wide student market ranging from ‘A’ level to advanced undergraduate work. What these differing approaches have in common is that their primary purpose is to impart to their readers essential information about the structures and workings of the American system of government. In both cases, their analytical aspirations are weighed down by the quantity of descriptive material they are required to include.