Matthew Alan Hill - American Politics For Dummies

Dr Matthew Hill is a Senior Lecturer in American Politics in the School Humanities and Social Science at Liverpool John Moores University. Previous to this he has held lectureships at Anglia Ruskin University, and the School of Advanced Study at the University of London. He has contributed to teaching American politics at several other universities including Cardiff, De Montfort and Birkbeck. Matthews research on US Foreign Policy and democracy promotion is published in international journals and as a book. As well as trawling the shelves in dusty libraries and archives, Matthew has interviewed a number of prominent figures for his research, including former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former ambassadors.

Matthew has lived and worked in the US in the past including a stint as an intern at The Carter Center, where he worked for former President Jimmy Carter. He now gets his fix of favourite American foods on annual research trips. At home, he likes to appease the American part of his soul by calling films movies and pronouncing tomato to rhyme with potato. He can be heard walking the streets of London recounting famous skits from Saturday Night Live.

So many people have been instrumental in bringing this book into being. The team at Wiley have been wonderful to work with. Im grateful to Mike Baker, my Commissioning Editor, for his creative thinking and efficiency in getting the ball rolling, and his helpful input at the later stages too. Most importantly, I have felt so lucky to have my editor Traci Cumbay on my side (and on my case!) throughout this project. Tracis sharp and thorough editing skills are second only to her ability to write funny, morale boosting emails. Numerous times she has reeled me back from the end of my tether and helped me to get this book finished. I would also like to thank Terri Jett for her technical review and Kate OLeary for turning my scribbles into a Dummies book.

I am grateful to both Liverpool John Moores University and Anglia Ruskin University for their support in allowing me the time to write this book. Alex Miles, my History Head John Moores, took me on in the middle of writing this book.

Finally, I want to thank my partner, Charlotte. For the last six months shes barely seen me because the laptop has got between us. But when Ive looked up, Im delighted to find that she hasnt gone away, and she sometimes even tolerates a fascinating story about the US constitution, or electoral anomalies. I dont know how I got so lucky.

Publishers Acknowledgments

Acquisitions Editor: Mike Baker

Project Editor: Traci Cumbay

Copy Editor: Kate OLeary

Technical Editor: Terri Jett

Art Coordinator: Alicia B. South

Project Coordinator: Melissa Cossell

Project Manager: Steve Edwards

Cover Image: Marilyn Nieves/Getty Images

Chapter 1

In This Chapter

Describing the emergence of the new nation

Considering the meaning of democracy

Considering issues in contemporary America

Explaining the emergence of the US on the world stage

The United States isnt your typical nation; it didnt emerge from a long process of interactions between a mix of geography and culture, as was the case in Europe. The nation emerged from a fight for liberty a fight that was based on a new way of dealing with relations between a government and its people. And today, if you look around the globe, you can see how much influence the American concept of government has had. Around half of the nearly 200 countries in the world are democracies, and many of these have emulated the American political system.

This chapter takes you on a sweeping tour of all things American. I identify how America came to be this revered nation by examining its historical and philosophical roots, describe key domestic debates facing the nation today and discuss the role of US involvement on the international stage.

The United States came into being when it publicly declared its independence on 4 July 1776. But that was the culmination of a lot of struggle and growth, and the emergence of the 13 colonies that became the first 13 states of the new nation and a letter that changed politics for generations to come.