This is a substantive outline of a course in American political development. The focus is upon three things: (a) the role of government in capitalism; (b) economic, fiscal and social welfare policy; and (c) the development of American political ideology concerning the same. These issues were selected because they constitute an entrenched & recurring conversation in American politics. We hear about them over and over again in presidential elections. The issues are traced across three historical epochs: pre-industrial America; the progressive era from 1890s through the New Deal; and contemporary politics from the Great Society through Obama. This places the issues in an appropriate context. Video lectures for this course are expected to made available for public consumption free of charge.