Revised and updated to take into account the 1988 Presidential election, this new edition aims to provide a clear and concise introduction to US politics. It explains, analyzes and interprets the processes of the US government and appraises them from a non-US perspective.

Society, economy and political beliefs
the growth of the USA - immigration and demographic change
the American economy in transition
social structure
beliefs and values - dominant ideology or political culture
80,000 governments - federalism and intergovernmental relations
federalism in theory and practice
the evolution of American federalism
competitive interdependence - American intergovernmental relations in the 1970s and 1980s.