Political Science Texts

Our Collection of political science texts delves into the complex world of politics and governance. Whether you are studying political science or simply interested in understanding the dynamics of power and decision-making, the historic and contemporary selections in this Collection can help you examine the forces and ideologies that shape societies and social institutions.

Publication year 2011Genre Book, NonfictionTags Politics / Government

Colin Woodard’s 2011 book, American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America takes a fascinating look at American regionalism and the 11 territories that continue to shape North America. Woodard asserts that North America comprises 11 distinct nations, each containing its own unique history. Taking readers on a journey that reveals the origins of our fractured continent, Woodard offers a revelatory perspective on American identity and the ways the conflicts... Read American Nations Summary


Publication year 2003Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Social Justice, History: U.S., Sociology

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal

Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: RaceTags Technology, Politics / Government, Sociology, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Race / Racism, Poverty, Class, History: U.S.

Publication year 1941Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags History: European, Politics / Government

Publication year 2005Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Society: GlobalizationTags Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics

Publication year 1849Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Transcendentalism, Politics / Government

Henry David Thoreau’s “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,” more commonly known as “Civil Disobedience,” originated as a Concord Lyceum lecture given in January 1848 as the Mexican-American War was winding down. The essay and its central thesis—that following one’s conscience trumps the need to follow the law—have profoundly impacted global history, political philosophy, and American thought, notably influencing both Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.The text was originally published in an 1849 essay... Read Civil Disobedience Summary


Publication year 1930Genre Book, Nonfiction

Civilization and Its Discontents is one of the most widely-read and influential works by Sigmund Freud, founder of psychoanalysis and a titan of the 20th century. The book examines the conflict between societies and their individual members, how cultures try to channel human drives toward constructive ends, and how individuals struggle to balance social demands for conformity with their own urges and yearnings. Late in the 19th century, Freud founded psychoanalysis, a talking therapy that... Read Civilization And Its Discontents Summary


Publication year 1776Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Politics / Government, American Revolution

The all-time bestselling published work in America, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense helped ignite a revolution that changed the world. Released in January 1776, the pamphlet condemned the arbitrary rule of Britain’s King George III and his Parliament, and it urged colonists to rise up against their oppressors and replace colonial rule with a democratic republic of free and equal citizens. Common Sense helped inspire rebel leaders to declare American independence six months later. An e-book... Read Common Sense Summary


Publication year 1787Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: NationTags Politics / Government, History: U.S., Crime / Legal

The Constitution of the United States is the oldest national constitution that’s still in use. The idea of founding a government on the basis of a written constitution was revolutionary when the US Constitution was drafted in 1787. The idea had two novel components: first, the document both establishes and limits the power of the government—no figurehead, ruler, or body of legislators stands above the Constitution. Second, it was written by representatives of the governed—55... Read Constitution of United States of America Summary


Publication year -1Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Philosophy, Ancient Greece, Politics / Government

Crito, written by the philosopher Plato, is a dialogue between the famous philosopher Socrates and his friend Crito. This dialogue, which Plato is believed to have published shortly after 399 BCE, is set after the city of Athens has sentenced Socrates to death. Crito takes place after the events of Plato’s Apology, which details Socrates’s defense speech at his trial. Within the corpus of Plato’s many Socratic dialogues, scholars generally group Crito with Euthyphro, Apology... Read Crito Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: LanguageTags Psychology, Religion / Spirituality, Crime / Legal

Publication year 1848Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)

Publication year 2023Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: NationTags History: U.S., Politics / Government

Publication year 1835Genre Book, NonfictionTags History: U.S., Politics / Government, French Literature

Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America is a work of history and political philosophy published in two volumes, the first in 1835 and the second in 1840. Tocqueville embarked on his own political career in France but is best known for his contributions to history and political philosophy.The first volume is based on Tocqueville’s nearly yearlong sojourn in the United States, ostensibly to study its prisons and prison reform. In his introduction Tocqueville emphasizes that... Read Democracy in America Summary


Publication year 458Genre Play, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: GenderTags Ancient Greece, Drama / Tragedy, Play: Drama, Philosophy, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Eumenides is an Attic tragedy by the playwright Aeschylus (circa 525/4-circa 456/5 BCE). Eumenides was the final part of the Oresteia, a tragic trilogy first produced for the City Dionysia in 458 BCE. The Oresteia describes the murder of Agamemnon by his wife Clytemnestra and the aftermath of this act; in Eumenides, Orestes—the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra—must undergo a trial to be purified of the blood of his mother, whom he murdered to avenge... Read Eumenides Summary


Publication year 1972Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: GlobalizationTags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Finance / Money / Wealth

Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Black Lives Matter, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, History: U.S., Business / Economics, Diversity, Class, Education, Finance / Money / Wealth, Poverty, Politics / Government, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

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Publication year 2017Genre Biography, NonfictionTags Politics / Government, History: U.S., American Civil War

Publication year 2022Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Politics / Government, History: World

Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionTags Politics / Government

How Democracies Die (Crown, 2018) is a nonfiction book by political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. The authors, who are both professors at Harvard, explore how American democracy is threatened by examining past examples of democratic breakdown. In doing so, they demonstrate how since the end of the Cold War, most democracies die not through violent overthrow of government but a gradual weakening of democratic norms and institutions. Using these insights from history, as... Read How Democracies Die Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionTags Politics / Government

How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us Versus Them is a nonfiction book published in 2018 by the American philosopher and Yale University professor Jason Stanley. In it, the author discusses ten mechanisms by which fascist politicians gain and consolidate power in democratic states, potentially yielding a fascist state with an absolute leader. Drawing on examples that range from Nazi Germany to the contemporary United States, Stanley explains the appeal of fascist ideology during times... Read How Fascism Works Summary


Publication year 1992Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionTags Politics / Government

How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed (1992) by Croatian essayist and journalist Slavenka Drakulić details life in Communist Eastern Europe, especially the former Yugoslavia (which after 1989 would become eight distinct countries, including Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Montenegro). Drakulić wrote this collection in response to the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall and dissolution of the USSR; in her view, there was more political coverage than reflections of how communism affected quotidian life. In... Read How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed Summary


Publication year 1983Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: NationTags Politics / Government

Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism is a nonfiction work by historian and political scientist Benedict Anderson. First published in 1983, the book provides a highly influential account of the rise of nationalism and the emergence of the modern nation-state. Anderson sees the nation as a social construct, an “imagined community” in which members feel commonality with others, even though they may not know them. The strength of patriotic feeling and... Read Imagined Communities Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Gender, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Gender / Feminism, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Finance / Money / Wealth, Sociology, Business / Economics, Technology, Health / Medicine, Politics / Government, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)

Publication year 2001Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Philosophy, Politics / Government

Publication year 1651Genre Book, NonfictionTags Philosophy

Leviathan is a work of political philosophy published in 1651 by English philosopher Thomas Hobbes. Written during the English Civil Wars of the 17th century, the book is enormously influential as a pioneering work of social contract theory, which dictates that citizens of a sovereign state consent to give up certain rights to authority figures in exchange for domestic order and protection from foreign invaders. Absent this contract with authority, Hobbes argues, humans will devolve... Read Leviathan Summary


Publication year 1859Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Politics & Government, Society: NationTags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Arts / Culture, History: European, British Literature, Victorian Period

On Liberty is a philosophical essay on ethics, society, and politics published in 1859 by the English philosopher John Stuart Mill. His work on the subject matter extended back several years, through an illustrious career as a politician and philosopher. Mill’s ideas center on the concept of utilitarianism, which emphasizes efficiency and collective well-being. The book remains in print in the 21st century.SummaryOn Liberty is divided into five chapters: an introduction; “On the liberty of... Read On Liberty Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: MarriageTags Politics / Government

Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality is a close reading of the Declaration of Independence published in 2014. Its author, Danielle Allen, is a classicist and political philosopher. Earlier in her career she received a prestigious “genius grant” from the MacArthur Foundation. She is currently a professor at Princeton University’s Institute for Advanced Study. In this work Allen combines personal narrative, academic training, and rigorous analysis of the... Read Our Declaration Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Class

In Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis (2015), author Robert D. Putnam describes how unattainable upward social mobility, or the American Dream, is for most young people. Putnam examines the factors that encourage or discourage upward mobility and how they have changed over time. The book was well-received by critics for its honest and timely commentary on important social issues. Putnam currently works as both a political scientist and a professor of public policy... Read Our Kids Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Society: Colonialism, Society: Class, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Politics / Government, Business / Economics, Urban Development, Poverty, Finance / Money / Wealth, History: Asian, History: African , History: European, History: U.S., Social Justice, Class

Planet of Slums is a non-fiction book published in 2006 by American author and urban theorist Mike Davis. It chronicles the spread of poverty in cities around the world at a time when more than a billion people live in what the United Nations (UN) classifies as "slums."SummaryIn 1950, only 86 cities around the world had populations of one million people or more. When Davis wrote this book in 2005, he predicted that by 2015... Read Planet of Slums Summary


Publication year 1960Genre Book, NonfictionTags Politics / Government

In 1960 Richard Neustadt’s Presidential Power, which constitutes the first eight chapters of the work discussed here, set forth an analysis of the US presidency that argued for presidents to focus on the prospective enhancement and conservation of their own power in terms of politics as they actually occur. The book became a classic, representing the entry of presidential studies into modern political science. It was soon read by individuals holding the office and their... Read Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Book, NonfictionTags Politics / Government

Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World, by Tim Marshall, was published in 2015 and became a New York Times bestseller and a Sunday Times #1 bestseller. The book describes how geography—mountains, plains, rivers, coastlines, climate, and natural resources—shape the fate of nations. Each chapter explains geography’s effects on a particular country or region. The book also considers how other influences—religion, culture, language, ethnicity—interact with local geography.Chapter 1 explores Russia, where... Read Prisoners of Geography Summary


Publication year 2008Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: ClassTags Addiction / Substance Abuse, Journalism, Sociology, History: U.S., Information Age

Publication year 2021Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionTags American Civil War, History: U.S., Politics / Government

Publication year 1969Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Social Justice, Politics / Government, Psychology, Sociology

Publication year 1775Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Nation, Society: ColonialismTags Politics / Government, History: U.S., American Revolution, Colonial America

Publication year 2005Genre Biography, NonfictionTags Politics / Government

Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, published in 2005, is an historical study of the events surrounding Abraham Lincoln’s nomination as the Republican candidate for US president in 1860 and his tenure in office from 1861 to his assassination in 1865. The sixth book by Pulitzer Prize winner Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals won the 2006 Lincoln Prize and the inaugural Book Prize for American History from the New... Read Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln Summary


Publication year 1848Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: FateTags Politics / Government, Industrial Revolution

The Communist Manifesto was initially published in the turbulent years of 1848-49, when societies throughout Europe tried to replace aristocratic, authoritarian governments with more democratic and representative institutions. The Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and early 19th centuries had introduced incredible advances in production, transportation, and communication, but these advancements also created terrible working conditions for the working class. Men, women, and children worked long hours in dangerous conditions for little reward before the... Read The Communist Manifesto Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags Politics / Government, Philosophy, Psychology, Business / Economics

Publication year 2022Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Globalization, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Politics / Government, Business / Economics, History: U.S., Agriculture, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Food, History: World, Immigration / Refugee, Military / War, Technology, Urban Development

Publication year 2011Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: The Future, Society: GlobalizationTags Christian literature, Religion / Spirituality, Mystery / Crime Fiction

The Harbinger, by Jonathan Cahn, a Messianic Jewish rabbi and author, is Cahn’s debut novel. The Harbinger is described as a Christian novel; it uses and relies on themes, concepts, and scripture that are prevalent in the Old Testament. It was initially published in September 2011 by FrontLine, an imprint of Charisma House, which is a religious publishing group dedicated to spreading religious messages. FrontLine is the imprint of Charisma House used for discussing cultural... Read The Harbinger Summary


Publication year 1973Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Anthropology, Sociology, Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Politics / Government

Publication year 1963Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Politics / Government, Business / Economics, History: European, Sociology, Industrial Revolution, British Literature, Class

Publication year 2007Genre Book, NonfictionTags Politics / Government, History: U.S.

In The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court, author Jeffrey Toobin begins the Prologue near the end of the story with the funeral of Chief Justice William Rehnquist in 2005. This is a nonfiction book about the transformation of the Supreme Court from liberal to conservative over a period of roughly 35 years, and the transformation was complete upon the death of Rehnquist. Toobin, an American lawyer and legal analyst, published The... Read The Nine Summary


Publication year 1945Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: FateTags Politics / Government, Philosophy, History: World, Science / Nature, Sociology, Business / Economics

Publication year 2021Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Politics / Government, Health / Medicine, History: U.S., Science / Nature

Publication year 2021Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Society: CommunityTags Politics / Government, History: U.S., Poverty, Social Justice, Class, Education

Publication year 2012Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Religion / Spirituality

In The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, published in 2012, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt presents a new way to understand the often-contentious moral divides in politics and religion. Haidt looks at the topic in three separate parts. First, he works to give a clearer picture of how the mind works. Secondly, he presents a framework for understanding the different moral values that emerge between different cultures and political parties... Read The Righteous Mind Summary


Publication year 1762Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Philosophy, Age of Enlightenment

The Social Contract is a political treatise published in 1762 by the Genevan philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Rousseau argues about the best ways to establish and maintain political authority without unduly sacrificing personal liberty. He builds off 17th-century philosopher Thomas Hobbes’s idea of the “social contract” between the people and sovereign authority, departing from Hobbes in his views on monarchy and the natural state of humankind. The Social Contract was enormously influential on political thought before... Read The Social Contract Summary