American politics and society - Hardcover

David H. McKay

3.45

56 ratings by Goodreads

9780855206369: American politics and society

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0855206365 ISBN 13: 9780855206369

Publisher: M. Robertson, 1983

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Completely revised and updated to take full account of the 1992 Presidential Election which swept Bill Clinton to the Oval office, this new edition of "American Politics and Society" provides an introduction to US politics for all students of political science. It explains, analyzes and interprets the processes of US government - and, appraises them from a non-US perspective. McKay fills in the social background to American political and economic life, preparing the ground for the central discussion of the book: the institutions of the US state. Congress, the Supreme Court and the Constitution, the federal government, the Presidency, the party bandwagons and electoral circuses - all are carefully analyzed in turn. Their significance for the way America is governed is evaluated. McKay guides the reader through the jungle of the federal bureaucracy, and assesses the power of interest groups. He discusses in detail how US policy is formulated in the critical areas of urban policy, economic management and foreign affairs. Throughout, he provides an up-to-date survey of the views and criticisms of leading political commentators on the American scene.

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From the Back Cover:

American Politics and Society is a clear and concise introduction to US politics which explains, analyses, and interprets the processes of US government and, crucially, appraises them from a non-US perspective.

This completely revised new edition takes in the many changes which have occurred in US politics and explores the ‘political and ideological polarization’ which some commentators see as a significant characteristic of US politics and society today. Engaging with such issues as the rapidly changing balance of support for the Democrats and Republicans, and the continuing decline in the global reputation of the United States, the book provides an up-to-date survey of the views and criticisms of leading political commentators, including commentary on the 2008 presidential election.

Written in an accessible style and packed with illustrations and pedagogical features, this book offers a fresh look at the social background to American political and economic life, the institutions and processes of government, and the most recent and dramatic events in the political arena.

An accompanying website containing additional support for lecturers and students is available at www.blackwellpublishing.com/mckay/

About the Author:

David McKay is Professor of Government at the University of Essex. He is the author of numerous books and articles on American and comparative politics, including Designing Europe: Comparative Lessons from the Federal Experience (2001, winner of the Political Studies Association WJM MacKenzie prize for the best book published in 2001). He is the co-author of The New British Politics (2007).

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