American Politics and Society - Softcover

McKay, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1405126035 ISBN 13: 9781405126038

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005

Synopsis

Completely revised and updated to take full account of the most recent and dramatic changes in the nature of American government, the sixth edition provides a clear and concise introduction to US politics for all students of political science and American studies.

• Explains, analyses and interprets the processes of US government and, crucially, appraises them from a non-US perspective. Includes commentary on the 2004 presidential election.
  
• 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 federal government, Congress, the Supreme Court and the Constitution, the federal system, the Presidency, the party bandwagons and the electoral system.
  
• Reduced emphasis on limited government and greater emphasis on foreign and domestic policy linked into the War on Terror. Reworked throughout to reflect recent developments, with two completely new chapters on The Media and American Politics, and The Security State.
  
• Supported by a website, www.blackwellpublishing.com/mckay, including information on the book; its detailed contents; the author; controversies; sample chapters; selected tables; related titles; and links to other web resources. It will be regularly updated to ensure teachers and students have access to the most recent data.

About this title

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 recent years 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.wiley.com/go/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 W. J. M. MacKenzie prize for the best book published in 2001. He is the co-author of The New British Politics (2007).

About this edition

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1405126035
• ISBN 13: 9781405126038
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 6
• Number of pages: 384