With historical and statistical information that enables students to see present day American politics in context, this text provides a introduction to the workings of American government and the particular complexities of the US political system. The book is divided into nine distinct chapters, and includes simple and straightforward introductions to key debates and issues, glossaries of important terms and concepts, statistics and other data, and guides to further reading and useful websites. The US economy and society, the congress, the presidency and the executive branch, the supreme court, the constitution, pressure groups, political parties, elections and federalism are all considered in depth. The book also includes the 2000 presidential election, its bitter aftermath, and the formation of the Bush administration.