"The most comprehensive textbook I have read on American political parties. Written before the current partisan impasse, the book does much to clarify the extremely fluid and often fragile structure of our two major parties--parties that, in comparison with their European counterparts, have relatively weak ties to social classes and religious groups."--New York Review of Books

This classic text examines the issues surrounding party politics in the United States. The fourth edition considers the demise of the Reform Party in 2000 and discusses campaign finance reform.