American Political History: A Very Short Introduction explores key turning points in American political history, the nature of the two-party system, representative presidential and congressional elections, struggles to expand the electorate, critical social protest and third-party movements, and the emergence of a democratic political culture within a republican form of government. Despite fierce debates over the meaning of the U.S. Constitution, a belief in the importance of constitutional order persists among political leaders and voters. There have been deep divisions about the extent of federal power, slavery, citizenship, immigration policy, civil rights, and economic, financial, and social policies. New immigrants, racial minorities, and women have also joined the electorate and the debates.

1. The politics of the Constitution, 1787–89 2. Contentious people and factious parties in the Early Republic, 1789–1824 3. The age of democracy, 1816–44 4. The politics of slavery: prelude to the Civil War, 1844–60 5. Politics in war and Reconstruction, 1861–76 6. Gilded Age frustration and the Progressive response, 1877–1918 7. Affluence, depression, and world war, 1920–45 8. Early Cold War politics, 1945–74 9. Tumultuous politics continued, 1974–present