American political and policy history has revived since the turn of the twenty-first century. After social and cultural history emerged as dominant forces to reveal the importance of class, race, and gender within the United States, the application of this line of work to American politics and policy followed. In addition, social movements, particularly the civil rights and feminism, helped rekindle political and policy history. As a result, a new generation of historians turned their attention to American politics. Their new approach still covers traditional subjects, but more often it combines an interest in the state, politics, and policy with other specialties (urban, labor, social, and race, among others) within the history and social science disciplines.The Oxford Handbook of American Political History incorporates and reflects this renaissance of American political history. It not only provides a chronological framework but also illustrates fundamental political themes and debates about public policy, including party systems, women in politics, political advertising, religion, and more. Chapters on economy, defense, agriculture, immigration, transportation, communication, environment, social welfare, health care, drugs and alcohol, education, and civil rights trace the development and shifts in American policy history. This collection of essays by 29 distinguished scholars offers a comprehensive overview of American politics and policy.

Introduction:Paula Baker and Donald T. Critchlow1. Colonial PoliticsSteven Conway2. The Politics of the ConstitutionDavid Briand Robertson3. The Early RepublicJohn L. Brooke4. Democrats and Whigs: The Second American Party SystemHarry L. Watson5. The Politics of Slavery and the Coming Civil WarJohn Ashworth6. Politics of the Civil War and ReconstructionErik B. Alexander7. Politics in the Gilded Age and Progressive EraPaula Baker8. The Politics of Depression and WarJason Scott Smith9. Party Politics and National Policy, Post-World War IIDaniel DiSalvo10. The Rules of the GameJack Reynolds11. Voting RightsMorgan Kousser12. Third PartiesBob McMath13. The Role of Money in PoliticsRobert E. Mutch14. Political Advertising and the MediaKathleen Hall Jamieson and Eunji Kim15. Religion and American PoliticsDaniel K. Williams16. Ethnic Politics in American HistoryJames J. Connolly17. Tax and Fiscal Regimes in the United States: The Long-SwingsElliot Brownlee18. Defense and Foreign PolicyTimothy J. Lynch19. Gender and Political CitizenshipEileen McDonagh and Danielle M. Thomsen20. Immigration Policy: Restrictive and Expansive TraditionsDaniel J. Tichenor and Kathryn Miller21. The Three Regimes of American Transportation PolicyGregory L. Schneider22. Communications and Technology PolicyHeidi Tworek23. Environmental and Energy PolicyBrian Black24. Social Welfare PolicyJoel Blau25. Health PolicyChristy Ford Chapin26. The Long Shadow of Prohibition: U.S. Drug and Alcohol Policy in the Twentieth CenturyScott Martin27. Federal Education PolicyWayne J. Urban28. Civil Rights PolicyBaker and Donald T. CritchlowIndex