This title was first published in 2000: An examination of some of the key themes and issues central to the understanding of the contemporary political scene in the USA at the beginning of the 21st century.

Introduction, Alan Grant. 1. America Divided: The Politics of 'Balkanization', Edward Ashbee. 2. Congress after the 'Revolution': The Continuing Problems of Governance in a Partisan Era, John E. Owens. 3. Presidential Power and the Clinton Presidency, Tim Hames. 4. Foreign Policy and Foreign Policy Making, John Dumbrell. 5. Prosecutorial Politics and the Future of the Independent Counsel, Peter Falconer. 6. In Search of a Role: The Supreme Court in a Post-Civil Rights Era, Robert McKeever. 7. The Christian Right in American Politics, Martin Durham. 8. The Contract and Beyond: The Republican Policy Agenda, Nigel Ashford. 9. The Reform of Election Campaign Finance, Alan Grant. 10. Elections, Voting and Campaigning at the Start of the Twenty-first Century, Philip John Davies. 11. Devolution and the Reshaping of American Federalism, Alan Grant.