This eagerly-anticipated third edition builds on the established reputation of the Understanding series. It provides an accessible and intelligible text without compromising its high academic standards. Devices designed to help students study and revise effectively are used throughout, including useful tables and boxes; clear definitions of key terms; and helpful introductory and concluding sections in each chapter. The third edition has been thoroughly updated to include such topics as the findings of the 2010 Census; the outcomes of the 2008 presidential election and the 2010 mid-term elections; the role of the states in American federalism; reflections on the Bush presidency; the controversy over Health Care reform; and the rise of the Tea Party Movement. This is an ideal book for use by undergraduate professors and students of American politics, as it is closely geared to the requirements of the syllabuses laid down by the main examination boards. It is also deservedly popular with students pursuing introductory courses on the US political system in Higher Education.