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Very Short Introductions #350
American Politics: A Very Short Introduction
American politics seems to grow more contentious and complicated by the day, and whether American democracy works well is hotly debated. Amidst all this roiling partisan argument and confusing claims and counterclaims, there has never been a greater need for an impartial primer on the basics of the American political system.
This Very Short Introduction gives readers a concise, accessible, and sophisticated overview of the vital elements of American democracy, emphasizing both how these elements function, their historical origins, and how they have evolved into their present forms. Richard Valelly covers all facets of America's political the bicameral Congress and the place of the filibuster, the legislative-executive process, the role of the Supreme Court, political parties and democratic choice, bureaucracy, the partisan revival, and the political economy. He offers as well an original analysis of the evolution of the American presidency and a fascinating chapter on the effects of public polling on political decision-making and voter representation. Valelly shows that the American political system is, and always has been, very much a work in progress--unfolding within, and also constantly updating, an eighteenth-century constitutional framework. In a refreshingly balanced and judicious
assessment, he explores the strengths of American democracy while candidly acknowledging both gaps in representation and the increasing income inequality have sparked protest and intense public discussion. Finally, Valelly considers the remarkable persistence, for more than two centuries, of the basic constitutional forms established in 1787, despite the dramatic social changes that have reshaped virtually all aspects of American life.
For anyone wishing to understand the nuts and bolts of how our political system works--and sometimes fails to work--this Very Short Introduction is the very best place to start.
About the
Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects--from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative--yet always balanced and complete--discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable.
This Very Short Introduction gives readers a concise, accessible, and sophisticated overview of the vital elements of American democracy, emphasizing both how these elements function, their historical origins, and how they have evolved into their present forms. Richard Valelly covers all facets of America's political the bicameral Congress and the place of the filibuster, the legislative-executive process, the role of the Supreme Court, political parties and democratic choice, bureaucracy, the partisan revival, and the political economy. He offers as well an original analysis of the evolution of the American presidency and a fascinating chapter on the effects of public polling on political decision-making and voter representation. Valelly shows that the American political system is, and always has been, very much a work in progress--unfolding within, and also constantly updating, an eighteenth-century constitutional framework. In a refreshingly balanced and judicious
assessment, he explores the strengths of American democracy while candidly acknowledging both gaps in representation and the increasing income inequality have sparked protest and intense public discussion. Finally, Valelly considers the remarkable persistence, for more than two centuries, of the basic constitutional forms established in 1787, despite the dramatic social changes that have reshaped virtually all aspects of American life.
For anyone wishing to understand the nuts and bolts of how our political system works--and sometimes fails to work--this Very Short Introduction is the very best place to start.
About the
Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects--from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative--yet always balanced and complete--discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable.
136 pages, Paperback
First published December 11, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 29, 2024
This informative account covers all the bases, but it might well have been written by Pollyanna, perhaps a Professor Pollyanna who studies a subject but isn't involved with it. The great defects of American politics are only lightly touched upon, if at all. In this book, everything is working just fine with a few quibbles. Consider this statement...
"as one congressional staffer told a political scientist, 'One of the ironies of Washington is that you get agencies who believe that Congress has, or should have, no role in what they are doing.' Bureaucratic leaders present at the creation and early years of an agency are often particularly talented at gaining autonomy. They may be able to create a sense of mission, an organizational culture and a string of accomplishments that effectively ward off would-be overseers. One notable case was the FBI during the tenure of its long-time director J. Edgar Hoover."
"Would-be overseers"? The Attorney General IS the overseer of the FBI as head of the Justice Department. J. Edgar Hoover's power came purely from the threat of blackmail using dirt he made it a point to discover about all his enemies. Is Richard Valelly from a different planet?
This is typical of this antiseptic overview. Money in politics is also brushed aside with the comment that political scientists have not been able to show that money determines the outcome of elections. No mention is made of the behavior of politicians in office, who endlessly perform for big donors, or that big donors can cover the bases by supporting both candidates in a contest. The influence of the Israel lobby on Congress produces the farce of wild standing ovations for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu when he speaks before it, and the mega-banks dictate the terms of their own bail-out, but this author thinks lobbying power is over-rated.
There are some very interesting parts to this book. I found the detailed analysis of the filibuster fascinating. Valelly tells us how it came to be in the 19th century, how it is now quite different from what it was and the way it has been tamed by Senate procedure work-arounds.
I'd bet there are many things in this book the average American doesn't know - basic facts about the three departments of our government - so I recommend it to every American citizen for that. Anyone who follows American politics, however, will be dismayed at how clean and tidy this outline makes the process appear. A second volume is needed - "how American Politics actually works" with a warning on the cover that readers might get their hands dirty from picking up the book.
"as one congressional staffer told a political scientist, 'One of the ironies of Washington is that you get agencies who believe that Congress has, or should have, no role in what they are doing.' Bureaucratic leaders present at the creation and early years of an agency are often particularly talented at gaining autonomy. They may be able to create a sense of mission, an organizational culture and a string of accomplishments that effectively ward off would-be overseers. One notable case was the FBI during the tenure of its long-time director J. Edgar Hoover."
"Would-be overseers"? The Attorney General IS the overseer of the FBI as head of the Justice Department. J. Edgar Hoover's power came purely from the threat of blackmail using dirt he made it a point to discover about all his enemies. Is Richard Valelly from a different planet?
This is typical of this antiseptic overview. Money in politics is also brushed aside with the comment that political scientists have not been able to show that money determines the outcome of elections. No mention is made of the behavior of politicians in office, who endlessly perform for big donors, or that big donors can cover the bases by supporting both candidates in a contest. The influence of the Israel lobby on Congress produces the farce of wild standing ovations for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu when he speaks before it, and the mega-banks dictate the terms of their own bail-out, but this author thinks lobbying power is over-rated.
There are some very interesting parts to this book. I found the detailed analysis of the filibuster fascinating. Valelly tells us how it came to be in the 19th century, how it is now quite different from what it was and the way it has been tamed by Senate procedure work-arounds.
I'd bet there are many things in this book the average American doesn't know - basic facts about the three departments of our government - so I recommend it to every American citizen for that. Anyone who follows American politics, however, will be dismayed at how clean and tidy this outline makes the process appear. A second volume is needed - "how American Politics actually works" with a warning on the cover that readers might get their hands dirty from picking up the book.
February 27, 2016
The book provides valuable information on some aspects of the current political landscape. However, I find that this book may be occupying an awkward niche in terms of the issues discussed. It's not exactly an introductory book of American political institutions, nor does it go too much into political history. Rather, it dabbles into interesting developments in several areas of American politics, such as the Presidency, polling, lobbying, and political parties. It's not a truly introductory book in that sense, but it can be an interesting read for those with some exposure.
December 22, 2020
A very informative but small book. This book covers the following topics:
1: Elements of American democracy
2: The presidency
3: Congress and its bicameralism
4: The legislative-executive process
5: The supreme court
6: Bureaucracy
7: Public opinion and its influence
8: Political parties and democratic choice
9: The partisan revival
10: Politics in the new Gilded Age.
1: Elements of American democracy
2: The presidency
3: Congress and its bicameralism
4: The legislative-executive process
5: The supreme court
6: Bureaucracy
7: Public opinion and its influence
8: Political parties and democratic choice
9: The partisan revival
10: Politics in the new Gilded Age.
August 29, 2016
If I was american and already knew how the American Political system worked, then maybe this would have been a good introduction to the politic science of that country.
Unfortunately I'm not American, and even after reading this "introduction" I still don't have very much idea about how it works. Yes I'm aware of the words congress, president, white house, senate, respresentatives, &c, and the book was slightly insightful about some of the more modern interactions which have casued controversy, but it absolutely did not explain any basics about what they are, how they operate or how they interact with each other. So my mission in reading this book completely failed and I will need to find another.
If, however, you do know all this basic stuff already then it might be quite an interesting read.
Unfortunately I'm not American, and even after reading this "introduction" I still don't have very much idea about how it works. Yes I'm aware of the words congress, president, white house, senate, respresentatives, &c, and the book was slightly insightful about some of the more modern interactions which have casued controversy, but it absolutely did not explain any basics about what they are, how they operate or how they interact with each other. So my mission in reading this book completely failed and I will need to find another.
If, however, you do know all this basic stuff already then it might be quite an interesting read.
February 20, 2023
American Politics: A Very Short Introduction by Richard M. Valelly
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
Print: COPYRIGHT: 2013; ISBN 978-0195373851; PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press, paperback; PAGES 127 (?); Unabridged
Digital: COPYRIGHT: 6/9/2009; ISBN 9780199912117; PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press; PAGES 136; Unabridged FILE SIZE: 3116 KB FORMATS: Kindle, EPUB
*(This version) Audio: COPYRIGHT: 7/31/2018; ISBN: 9781977306685; PUBLISHER: Tantor Media; DURATION: 04:00:27; PARTS: 4; File Size: 113993 KB; Unabridged (Overdrive LAPL)
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
How I picked it: While listening to a book on Communism, I became curious whether Communism had enough of a presence in the U.S. for an author of a short book on American Politics to find it worth discussing, and to describe the US version. Yes, he mentions it, but doesn’t spend much time with it.
What’s it about? Politics in America—the history of the parties. It didn’t go into great detail about what each party currently supports, but it did mention that the Republican party was the anti-slavery party.
What did I think? It covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time and I was pleased to have learned a bit.
AUTHOR:
Richard M. Valelly
From Princeton University, Center for the Study of Democratic Politics:
“Richard Valelly is professor of political science at Swarthmore College, where he has taught since 1993. There he teaches the introduction to American politics, Congress, social and macroeconomic policy, an honors seminar on the American political system, and an introduction to social choice and game theory. He offers occasional electives on such topics as American political development, elections in the U.S., and the politics and law of voting rights. Before joining the faculty at Swarthmore he taught at MIT. He also has taught at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania.
He has held residential fellowships at the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for Afro-American Research at Harvard, the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC and the Massachusetts Historical Society. In 1997 he held a research fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
He has just published his second book, The Two Reconstructions: The Struggle For Black Enfranchisement due out in October 2004 from the University of Chicago Press.
While at the Center, he will research and write about remote voting -- vote-by-mail, absentee balloting, and internet voting -- and what they mean for citizenship, as well as focus on the implementation of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and the impending struggle over the Voting Rights Act reauthorization. (2004-2005)”
NARRATOR:
Paul Heitsch
From Tantor Media:
“Paul Heitsch has been narrating audiobooks since 2011, after having worked as a pianist, composer, recording engineer, producer, and sound designer for many years. His work is often cited for the authenticity he brings to the narrative and characters he portrays, as well as his versatility, and clear, smooth delivery. He has been a presenter at several webinars and seminars for the Audiobook Publishing Association and SAG-AFTRA.”
GENRE:
Nonfiction; Politics
SUBJECTS: (not comprehensive)
Politics; History; Whigs; Democrats; Republicans; Republican Democrats; Federalists; Political Leaders
QUOTE:
From “Chapter 1: Elements of American democracy”
“American politics presents a carnival of quarrels, featuring the two political parties, interest groups, political movements, and often protest in the streets. Sign-waving opponents greet the president of the United States wherever he travels. But American politics also offers—more than citizens and pundits recognize—scenes of legislative deliberation and agreement between the country’s contentious political parties.
Judges come into this public sphere too. Politicians and groups invite or petition the Supreme Court to adjudicate policy disputes in ways that they prefer. Yet the justices decide their cases according to legal reasoning and their own political values. The results simultaneously frustrate and satisfy the president, Congress, the political parties, advocacy groups, and individual citizens. American politics thus combines conflict and cooperation, partisanship and contests over public law.
Less likely to attract the notice of citizens but equally important in the political arena are national regulatory agencies. They carry on vital work amid the interbranch disagreements about policy and constitutional meaning. These include the Federal Reserve (the nation’s central bank) and the Environmental Protection Agency. No mention of such agencies can be found in the Constitution of 1787; Congress did not create them via constitutional amendment, but Congress legislated them into existence These more modern institutions compose an administrative state.
The Constitution also presupposes the existence of subnational governments—that is, the states—from Alabama to Wyoming. Each has separation of powers constitutions and bills of rights of their own. The states legally charter local governments, particularly school boards, counties, cities, and municipalities, and special governments (such as authorities for managing the use of land or water resources). The local governments for their part have developed such important institutions as police and fire departments, public transportation authorities, zoning boards, and tax assessment commissions.
In all, the United States has a very large number of political and governmental players who are constantly busy with politicking, judging, and administering. What connects them to the wishes of citizens? Those who clock in every day at America’s public institutions do so with the approval of many if not most of their fellow citizens. To get that approval they have stood for office in elections—or the people who have appointed them have stood for office. Many try to keep their pulse on public opinion, and they monitor what the media and other critics of their performance are saying about them.
The quest for public support invites extra-constitutional players to publicize or to influence the activities of officeholders and the procedures of national, state, and local governments. They include political reporters and editorial page writers at newspapers or online publications; politically connected law firms, which raise money according to campaign finance law; voluntary associations, such as trade unions, which make phone calls on behalf of candidate or good government groups that endorse candidates, and preachers at churches who tell their flocks whom to vote for. Some citizens, working through social movements, pour time and energy into politics by marching, picketing, postering, blogging, and the like. A modest percentage of the public also contacts public officials. These citizens write letters, call Capitol Hill, or send emails. They do so in reaction to public events and crises, or they do so because interest groups and party organizations have asked them to.
A highly active set of Americans interact professionally with public officials in state capitals and Washington, D.C. Many of these lobbyists are well tailored and highly paid. In Hollywood, Houston, or Manhattan, among other places, rich and glamorous people attend fund-raisers for professional politicians or well-financed advocacy groups. But surprisingly, many so-called lobbyists are also advocates for citizen groups or trade unions.
The most consequential extra-constitutional institutions are the networks of organizations connected to the two major political parties, Democrats and Republicans. Webs of formal fund-raising organizations, legislative caucuses, consulting firms, and opinion research firms are associated with them. These two parties are, in fact, essential orchestrators of the processes by which office-seekers try to gain popular approval. Modern democracy is inconceivable without competitive political parties. Parties create, first, a vital vocation. They do that because they alone legitimately install people in public office. The Chamber of Commerce cannot elect a senator or president, for example.
Parties provide the prospect of decently compensated work as professional representatives. For the more talented politicians, political parties provide career ladders. Through affiliating with a political party a state representative or senator might aspire to be a member of Congress—and from there move (as Abraham Lincoln or Barack Obama did) to the White House. Party politicians as a class are not particularly well liked, but most of them are skillful professionals. Their work typically involves both personal sacrifices and an ethically informed ability to balance means and ends while seeking and holding public office.”
RATING:
4
STARTED READING – FINISHED READING
1-26-2023 to 2/20/2023
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
Print: COPYRIGHT: 2013; ISBN 978-0195373851; PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press, paperback; PAGES 127 (?); Unabridged
Digital: COPYRIGHT: 6/9/2009; ISBN 9780199912117; PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press; PAGES 136; Unabridged FILE SIZE: 3116 KB FORMATS: Kindle, EPUB
*(This version) Audio: COPYRIGHT: 7/31/2018; ISBN: 9781977306685; PUBLISHER: Tantor Media; DURATION: 04:00:27; PARTS: 4; File Size: 113993 KB; Unabridged (Overdrive LAPL)
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
How I picked it: While listening to a book on Communism, I became curious whether Communism had enough of a presence in the U.S. for an author of a short book on American Politics to find it worth discussing, and to describe the US version. Yes, he mentions it, but doesn’t spend much time with it.
What’s it about? Politics in America—the history of the parties. It didn’t go into great detail about what each party currently supports, but it did mention that the Republican party was the anti-slavery party.
What did I think? It covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time and I was pleased to have learned a bit.
AUTHOR:
Richard M. Valelly
From Princeton University, Center for the Study of Democratic Politics:
“Richard Valelly is professor of political science at Swarthmore College, where he has taught since 1993. There he teaches the introduction to American politics, Congress, social and macroeconomic policy, an honors seminar on the American political system, and an introduction to social choice and game theory. He offers occasional electives on such topics as American political development, elections in the U.S., and the politics and law of voting rights. Before joining the faculty at Swarthmore he taught at MIT. He also has taught at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania.
He has held residential fellowships at the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for Afro-American Research at Harvard, the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC and the Massachusetts Historical Society. In 1997 he held a research fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
He has just published his second book, The Two Reconstructions: The Struggle For Black Enfranchisement due out in October 2004 from the University of Chicago Press.
While at the Center, he will research and write about remote voting -- vote-by-mail, absentee balloting, and internet voting -- and what they mean for citizenship, as well as focus on the implementation of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and the impending struggle over the Voting Rights Act reauthorization. (2004-2005)”
NARRATOR:
Paul Heitsch
From Tantor Media:
“Paul Heitsch has been narrating audiobooks since 2011, after having worked as a pianist, composer, recording engineer, producer, and sound designer for many years. His work is often cited for the authenticity he brings to the narrative and characters he portrays, as well as his versatility, and clear, smooth delivery. He has been a presenter at several webinars and seminars for the Audiobook Publishing Association and SAG-AFTRA.”
GENRE:
Nonfiction; Politics
SUBJECTS: (not comprehensive)
Politics; History; Whigs; Democrats; Republicans; Republican Democrats; Federalists; Political Leaders
QUOTE:
From “Chapter 1: Elements of American democracy”
“American politics presents a carnival of quarrels, featuring the two political parties, interest groups, political movements, and often protest in the streets. Sign-waving opponents greet the president of the United States wherever he travels. But American politics also offers—more than citizens and pundits recognize—scenes of legislative deliberation and agreement between the country’s contentious political parties.
Judges come into this public sphere too. Politicians and groups invite or petition the Supreme Court to adjudicate policy disputes in ways that they prefer. Yet the justices decide their cases according to legal reasoning and their own political values. The results simultaneously frustrate and satisfy the president, Congress, the political parties, advocacy groups, and individual citizens. American politics thus combines conflict and cooperation, partisanship and contests over public law.
Less likely to attract the notice of citizens but equally important in the political arena are national regulatory agencies. They carry on vital work amid the interbranch disagreements about policy and constitutional meaning. These include the Federal Reserve (the nation’s central bank) and the Environmental Protection Agency. No mention of such agencies can be found in the Constitution of 1787; Congress did not create them via constitutional amendment, but Congress legislated them into existence These more modern institutions compose an administrative state.
The Constitution also presupposes the existence of subnational governments—that is, the states—from Alabama to Wyoming. Each has separation of powers constitutions and bills of rights of their own. The states legally charter local governments, particularly school boards, counties, cities, and municipalities, and special governments (such as authorities for managing the use of land or water resources). The local governments for their part have developed such important institutions as police and fire departments, public transportation authorities, zoning boards, and tax assessment commissions.
In all, the United States has a very large number of political and governmental players who are constantly busy with politicking, judging, and administering. What connects them to the wishes of citizens? Those who clock in every day at America’s public institutions do so with the approval of many if not most of their fellow citizens. To get that approval they have stood for office in elections—or the people who have appointed them have stood for office. Many try to keep their pulse on public opinion, and they monitor what the media and other critics of their performance are saying about them.
The quest for public support invites extra-constitutional players to publicize or to influence the activities of officeholders and the procedures of national, state, and local governments. They include political reporters and editorial page writers at newspapers or online publications; politically connected law firms, which raise money according to campaign finance law; voluntary associations, such as trade unions, which make phone calls on behalf of candidate or good government groups that endorse candidates, and preachers at churches who tell their flocks whom to vote for. Some citizens, working through social movements, pour time and energy into politics by marching, picketing, postering, blogging, and the like. A modest percentage of the public also contacts public officials. These citizens write letters, call Capitol Hill, or send emails. They do so in reaction to public events and crises, or they do so because interest groups and party organizations have asked them to.
A highly active set of Americans interact professionally with public officials in state capitals and Washington, D.C. Many of these lobbyists are well tailored and highly paid. In Hollywood, Houston, or Manhattan, among other places, rich and glamorous people attend fund-raisers for professional politicians or well-financed advocacy groups. But surprisingly, many so-called lobbyists are also advocates for citizen groups or trade unions.
The most consequential extra-constitutional institutions are the networks of organizations connected to the two major political parties, Democrats and Republicans. Webs of formal fund-raising organizations, legislative caucuses, consulting firms, and opinion research firms are associated with them. These two parties are, in fact, essential orchestrators of the processes by which office-seekers try to gain popular approval. Modern democracy is inconceivable without competitive political parties. Parties create, first, a vital vocation. They do that because they alone legitimately install people in public office. The Chamber of Commerce cannot elect a senator or president, for example.
Parties provide the prospect of decently compensated work as professional representatives. For the more talented politicians, political parties provide career ladders. Through affiliating with a political party a state representative or senator might aspire to be a member of Congress—and from there move (as Abraham Lincoln or Barack Obama did) to the White House. Party politicians as a class are not particularly well liked, but most of them are skillful professionals. Their work typically involves both personal sacrifices and an ethically informed ability to balance means and ends while seeking and holding public office.”
RATING:
4
STARTED READING – FINISHED READING
1-26-2023 to 2/20/2023
January 3, 2020
There is not much to be said about this book: like most "short introductions", it delivers what's promised, but the size of subject eventually shows itself to be too complicated for the books premise. And that's okay, some things are meant to be complicated and to take time to be understood properly. The biggest minus here was the narrator's mechanic-like voice that makes the whole thing 5% times harder to listen.
If you're interested in US politics (or, even better, if you're looking for some vague understanding of it) this book is perfect for you. Not only that but, as it's full of useful facts and quotes, it can be perfect reference source.
If you're interested in US politics (or, even better, if you're looking for some vague understanding of it) this book is perfect for you. Not only that but, as it's full of useful facts and quotes, it can be perfect reference source.
June 12, 2020
American politics are a very interesting aspect that affect the world. Whoever elected President will changes the structure either economically or leadership globally. The book gives an overall view of the politic of one of the freest nation in the world and everything devolves.
April 20, 2022
Amazing book. Very well written and easy to read. There are some concepts that are missing that should be in an introduction book. He has a few concepts in this book that is really meant for an introduction.
December 28, 2019
While the 'very' in 'very short' is highly debatable for this book series altogether, this was definitely no 'introduction' to American Politics. One could have already guessed, since the author dedicates it to 'Americanists everywhere'. The table of contents had led to believe that a step-by-step immersion into the topic was to follow, as the various powers each received a chapter. However, very little is explained about the formation and functioning of the American political institutions. Instead, the reader is directly geered towards their respective shortcomings and limitations, which a beginner to the field is not really able to grasp fully. While I understand sovereignty rests ultimately with citizens, a disproportionate amount of the text was focused on trying to measure the impact of public opinion (and not necessarily of democratic representation) in the work of the President's Office, the Congress, the Supreme Court, the bureaucracy or political parties.
October 26, 2020
5/10
This would be a good primer for a middle school civics class, but presents a rather rosy picture of some of the issues faced by the American Political system. Intransigence and party polarity are seen as just the regular push and pull between competing viewpoints leading to the best outcome, rather then the stalemate that is far more common, and bipartisan consensus on issues that will never be discussed is likewise not discussed here. The role of money in politics is also brushed aside by saying that because both parties have similar amounts of donations it must be ok.
It attempts to have, (and mostly succeeds in having) a centrist perspective, but occasionally shows a slightly liberal bent, but nothing to much. For someone looking to brush up on the American political system who is light on time, there are far worse options.
This would be a good primer for a middle school civics class, but presents a rather rosy picture of some of the issues faced by the American Political system. Intransigence and party polarity are seen as just the regular push and pull between competing viewpoints leading to the best outcome, rather then the stalemate that is far more common, and bipartisan consensus on issues that will never be discussed is likewise not discussed here. The role of money in politics is also brushed aside by saying that because both parties have similar amounts of donations it must be ok.
It attempts to have, (and mostly succeeds in having) a centrist perspective, but occasionally shows a slightly liberal bent, but nothing to much. For someone looking to brush up on the American political system who is light on time, there are far worse options.
July 25, 2019
Richard M. Valelly presents a short and concise explanation about the workings of the American political system.
If you are interested in navigating the winding web of the political system then I recommend beginning here. The writing wasn't too dry and some jargon was used but a simple Google search for certain words will clear that up.
Some topics were hard to understand and may require multiple re-readings or a Google search (I'm looking at you Electoral College!)
Regardless of that, a good informative read.
If you are interested in navigating the winding web of the political system then I recommend beginning here. The writing wasn't too dry and some jargon was used but a simple Google search for certain words will clear that up.
Some topics were hard to understand and may require multiple re-readings or a Google search (I'm looking at you Electoral College!)
Regardless of that, a good informative read.
August 10, 2025
It’s a good overview in general, but the last two chapters on Partisanship and Politics in the New Gilded Age need an update. So much has changed in the last ten years that they are too out of date. It needs a chapter on the challenges to democracy and American politics that have arisen in that period, and which are stronger and more differentiated from the past than what is discussed in the book.
May 30, 2020
A quick and sobered view on what American government is and what American government can legally or realistically do. Delivers what it promises, and makes clear some things that are easily overlooked, but it's a quick ride so buckle up.
October 13, 2019
Gave me a good enough understanding of American politics to not feel like such a charlatan when forming opinions on the cluster-fuck that is late-2010s American politics.
August 14, 2020
This book was able to provide a concise landscape of American politics. There so much more to know about this topic as any consumer of political literature more likely to attest.
February 19, 2025
Not bad, academic stuff in comprehensible language
As a very short introduction, its content is kind of shallow, which is okay, but a bit too introductory for me.
As a very short introduction, its content is kind of shallow, which is okay, but a bit too introductory for me.
March 23, 2025
Excellent introduction to the political landscape of the US.
August 14, 2020
A good overview of American politics in the 21st century.
May 19, 2013
Politics is, quite frankly, one of my passions. Aside from my own political leanings, values and interests, I have an overarching interest in the entirety of the political process in its own right. I always try to read well-informed and as far as possible objective accounts of the “big picture” of what makes any particular political system tick and what makes it special and idiosyncratic. My expectations of this very short introduction to the American politics were along those lines, unfortunately this book falls far short of my expectations.
Even though the author aims to give an overarching introduction to the American politics as a whole, the book reads more like a hodgepodge of various topics and themes in American politics. Some are reasonably well informative (such as the topic on the elections), while others left me scratching my head. The chapter on the office of presidency was almost entirely devoted to the history of 20th century presidential public addresses, while the chapter on Senate spent inordinate amount of space on Filibuster. These are all interesting topics to be sure, but in my mind they are far from representative of what the most important characteristics of those two political institutions are. In an extremely short introduction as this one, such a choice of topics is inexcusable.
As bad as the choice and treatment of topics are, those flaws pail in comparison with my biggest issue with this book: its unapologetic and in-your-face left-wing bias. Every single Republican political issue has been thoroughly criticized, oftentimes beyond what is objectively warranted, while the Democratic decisions are either not remarked upon or praised. The virtues and the flaws of the entirety of the US political system are judged along the lines of the left-wing issues. The concluding chapter in its entirety is dedicated to “income inequality” and its effects on democracy.
Let’s present the extent of the bias of this book in terms of its illustrations. Out of ten pictures in the book four are of Democratic politicians (Woodrow Wilson, Nancy Pelosi, Elena Kagan and Allen Ellender), three relate to liberal causes (minority voters, union protesters, and Occupy Wall Street protester), two are more or less neutral (a department of agriculture worker and George Gallup), and only one has anything to do with Republicans – an old 1874 cartoon of the GOP elephant. I can’t think of a more unbalanced set of illustrations for a book of this kind.
This book should be the exhibit A in the case against the ideological indoctrination of the American college professors. They are clearly unable to see their own biases, and continue the fiction of presenting themselves as impartial intellectuals. Generations of American college students have been fed a steady diet of books of this type. Fortunately, more and more of them are starting to learn about the real nature of the American political process from the alternative media and educational resources.
Even though the author aims to give an overarching introduction to the American politics as a whole, the book reads more like a hodgepodge of various topics and themes in American politics. Some are reasonably well informative (such as the topic on the elections), while others left me scratching my head. The chapter on the office of presidency was almost entirely devoted to the history of 20th century presidential public addresses, while the chapter on Senate spent inordinate amount of space on Filibuster. These are all interesting topics to be sure, but in my mind they are far from representative of what the most important characteristics of those two political institutions are. In an extremely short introduction as this one, such a choice of topics is inexcusable.
As bad as the choice and treatment of topics are, those flaws pail in comparison with my biggest issue with this book: its unapologetic and in-your-face left-wing bias. Every single Republican political issue has been thoroughly criticized, oftentimes beyond what is objectively warranted, while the Democratic decisions are either not remarked upon or praised. The virtues and the flaws of the entirety of the US political system are judged along the lines of the left-wing issues. The concluding chapter in its entirety is dedicated to “income inequality” and its effects on democracy.
Let’s present the extent of the bias of this book in terms of its illustrations. Out of ten pictures in the book four are of Democratic politicians (Woodrow Wilson, Nancy Pelosi, Elena Kagan and Allen Ellender), three relate to liberal causes (minority voters, union protesters, and Occupy Wall Street protester), two are more or less neutral (a department of agriculture worker and George Gallup), and only one has anything to do with Republicans – an old 1874 cartoon of the GOP elephant. I can’t think of a more unbalanced set of illustrations for a book of this kind.
This book should be the exhibit A in the case against the ideological indoctrination of the American college professors. They are clearly unable to see their own biases, and continue the fiction of presenting themselves as impartial intellectuals. Generations of American college students have been fed a steady diet of books of this type. Fortunately, more and more of them are starting to learn about the real nature of the American political process from the alternative media and educational resources.
July 20, 2019
There were some very interesting things in here and I love the format, but for an introduction, I feel like it's missing the basics. I would have loved some more landmarks about the structure of American Politics, in order to understand the underlying issues afterwards. It feels like it was here the other way around. Still an enjoyable and stimulating reading.
November 20, 2016
My first familiarity with the Very Short Introductions (VSIs) from Oxford was Nicholas Cook’s Music: A Very Short Introduction. I found Cook’s handiwork to enclose an enormous quantity of information compacted into a tiny volume. My experience with this title was even better. Richard M. Valelly’s American Politics: A Very Short Introduction, is a model of clear explanation and precise writing.
Sometimes, when reading much larger volumes of works, there is a tendency to over explain certain characteristics of political thought. There is no such issue in this product. Through concise editing and a convergence on proper placement of subjects, this creation should be a pleasure read for anyone from the seasoned political scientist, or theorist, to the novice political inquisitor.
In light of the most recent presidential campaign in the United States of America, I wanted to refocus my understanding of various concepts inherent to American politics and this book bestowed the preliminary push necessary to reinvigorate my inquisitiveness. Some of the downfalls (if you can call them that) of this work is that there is a tendency to gloss over specific aspects of American politics that I personally find important to understanding the fundamental conundrums of the system. Moreover, I am used to a more academic format where quotations, informatics, and statistics are backed up immediately with references, and comparisons (e.g., “footnotes,”). The critique of the former issue is cleanly resolved by admitting a personal preference. The later critique is negated by the fact that the information is present it is just compacted into the “reference” section at the end of the book. Again, both of these criticisms are just personal preferences and should not be taken as anything else.
Ultimately, a lot of the ideas expounded upon in this introductory work may have to be revised in light of the most recent election cycle. Specifically, the understanding of polls, public opinion, and its influences. Furthermore, a comprehensive explanation of the revival of partisan politics will need to be conducted. Nonetheless, this work does provide exactly what it claims to viz., a very short introduction to American politics.
December 26, 2013
This book taught me much about how our political system came to be the way it is and how it functions in our nation today. It is an objective view of the American political system and deals with the election process, the branches of government, opinion polls, lobbying and campaign financing.
Excellent primer that can teach old pros like me a thing or two.
Excellent primer that can teach old pros like me a thing or two.
August 19, 2016
A decent quick read but far from my favorite VSI. See the GoodReads review by Clif. He sums it up nicely.
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