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Political Science National

Understanding American Politics

by (author) Stephen Brooks

Publisher
University of Toronto Press, Higher Education Division
Initial publish date
Jan 2009
Category
National, General, Judicial Branch
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780802096715
    Publish Date
    Jan 2009
    List Price
    $57.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781442603493
    Publish Date
    Jan 2009
    List Price
    $46.95

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Out of print

This edition is not currently available in bookstores. Check your local library or search for used copies at Abebooks.

Description

Too often the politics of the United States is taught in a way that ignores the rest of the world. Understanding American Politics takes a different approach than most standard introductory textbooks by situating the United States in a comparative context.

The text weaves its analysis around the concept of American exceptionalism—not American superiority, but American difference—a concept that is at least as old as Tocqueville's monumental study of American democracy. Brooks believes that it is only when we take seriously the values that make America exceptional that we can truly understand politics and governance in the United States.

Offering up-to-date coverage of the institutions and processes of American politics (including the 2008 election), Brooks helps students consider how the rest of the world might view and appreciate Americans, their political systems, and their values.

About the author

Stephen Brooks is Professor of Political Science at the University of Windsor and teaches political science at the University of Michigan. He has written several books on American politics including As Others See Us: The Causes and Consequences of Foreign Perceptions of America (2006) and American Exceptionalism in the Age of Obama (2013).

Stephen Brooks' profile page