Hilde Eliassen Restad

As the United States celebrates the 250-year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the ninth edition of the hugely successful American Civilization not only describes and explains what makes the United States a “civilization” but also examines the challenges to its cohesion and democratic progress. This edition introduces readers to the significant debates in U. S. society, culture, and politics, ensuring a nuanced understanding of the complexities of American civilization. Early chapters have been reconfigured to address the challenges of race and discrimination in American political development. The book has been fully updated to reflect developments in education and local government during the second Trump administration, a more critical approach to foreign policy which questions the concept of American exceptionalism, and an examination of the impact, in federal government terms, of the 2024 presidential campaign, election results, and the opening of Trump’s second term. New sections have been added to analyse efforts to control the Department of Justice, as well as developments in Medicaid policies and the results of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Supported by exercises, discussion questions, and suggestions for further reading, watching, and listening at the end of each chapter, as well as a substantial chronology of key events in U. S. history, this textbook remains an indispensable resource for students of American Studies. With its updated content and critical approach, the ninth edition equips readers with the tools to analyse and engage with the ongoing American attempt at creating “a more perfect union.”

As the United States celebrates the 250-year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the ninth edition of the hugely successful American Civilization not only describes and explains what makes the United States a “civilization” but also examines the challenges to its cohesion and democratic progress. This edition introduces readers to the significant debates in U. S. society, culture, and politics, ensuring a nuanced understanding of the complexities of American civilization. Early chapters have been reconfigured to address the challenges of race and discrimination in American political development. The book has been fully updated to reflect developments in education and local government during the second Trump administration, a more critical approach to foreign policy which questions the concept of American exceptionalism, and an examination of the impact, in federal government terms, of the 2024 presidential campaign, election results, and the opening of Trump’s second term. New sections have been added to analyse efforts to control the Department of Justice, as well as developments in Medicaid policies and the results of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Supported by exercises, discussion questions, and suggestions for further reading, watching, and listening at the end of each chapter, as well as a substantial chronology of key events in U. S. history, this textbook remains an indispensable resource for students of American Studies. With its updated content and critical approach, the ninth edition equips readers with the tools to analyse and engage with the ongoing American attempt at creating “a more perfect union.”

I Det amerikanske paradokset presenterer Hilde Eliassen Restad på en levende og forståelig måte USAs politiske historie, det politiske systemet, valgordningene, rettssystemet, og dagens politiske kaos. Forfatteren forklarer det amerikanske politiske systemet som resultatet av et paradoks: USA ble opprettet som en liberal opplysningstidsstat, samtidig som den ble grunnlagt på slaveri og etnisk rensing av urbefolkningen. Hvordan har dette paradokset kommet til uttrykk i amerikansk historie og hvordan preger det den spente situasjonen i dag? I tillegg til å diskutere det paradoksale aspektet ved amerikansk historie, tematiserer boken også den økende polariseringen i amerikansk politikk og samfunnsliv, med særlig vekt på radikaliseringen av den politiske høyresiden. Kan noe tilsvarende skje på venstresiden? Restad tar også for seg medias rolle i den tilsynelatende evigvarende kulturkampen som utspiller seg. Denne oppdaterte utgaven (2024) inkluderer blant annet endringer i valgkamplover, nominasjonsregler og valgdistrikter som har funnet sted etter at førsteutgaven av boken kom i 2022.

I Det amerikanske paradokset presenterer Hilde Eliassen Restad på en levende og forståelig måte USAs politiske historie, landets politiske system, og dagens politiske kaos. Forfatteren forklarer det amerikanske politiske systemet som resultatet av et paradoks: USA ble opprettet som en liberal opplysningstidsstat, samtidig som den ble grunnlagt på slaveri og etnisk rensing av urbefolkningen. Hvordan har dette paradokset kommet til uttrykk i amerikansk historie og hvordan preger det den spente situasjonen i dag? Boken drøfter blant annet:de ulike fortellingene om USAs grunnleggelse og hvilken rolle disse spiller for den amerikanske identitetenlandets oppbygning som føderalstathvordan makten til presidenten har styrket seg opp gjennom historienhøyesteretts rolle i amerikansk politikkden historiske utviklingen til de to store politiske partienehvordan partiene har «byttet plass» i det politiske spektrumetI tillegg til å diskutere det paradoksale aspektet ved amerikansk historie, tematiserer boken også den økende polariseringen i amerikansk politikk og samfunnsliv, med særlig vekt på radikaliseringen av den politiske høyresiden. Kan noe tilsvarende skje på venstresiden? Restad tar også for seg medias rolle i den tilsynelatende evigvarende kulturkampen som utspiller seg. Boken avsluttes med en diskusjon av hva det egentlig vil si å være amerikaner. Hvem er de «ekte» amerikanerne, og hva er det «ekte» USA? Vil USA noen gang finne en løsning på «det amerikanske paradokset»?

How does American exceptionalism shape American foreign policy? Conventional wisdom states that American exceptionalism comes in two variations – the exemplary version and the missionary version. Being exceptional, experts in U. S. foreign policy argue, means that you either withdraw from the world like an isolated but inspiring "city upon a hill," or that you are called upon to actively lead the rest of the world to a better future. In her book, Hilde Eliassen Restad challenges this assumption, arguing that U. S. history has displayed a remarkably constant foreign policy tradition, which she labels unilateral internationalism. The United States, Restad argues, has not vacillated between an "exemplary" and a "missionary" identity. Instead, the United States developed an exceptionalist identity that, while idealizing the United States as an exemplary "city upon a hill," more often than not errs on the side of the missionary crusade in its foreign policy. Utilizing the latest historiography in the study of U. S. foreign relations, the book updates political science scholarship and sheds new light on the role American exceptionalism has played – and continues to play – in shaping America’s role in the world. This work will be of great interest to students and scholars of US foreign policy, security studies, and American politics.

How does American exceptionalism shape American foreign policy? Conventional wisdom states that American exceptionalism comes in two variations – the exemplary version and the missionary version. Being exceptional, experts in U. S. foreign policy argue, means that you either withdraw from the world like an isolated but inspiring "city upon a hill," or that you are called upon to actively lead the rest of the world to a better future. In her book, Hilde Eliassen Restad challenges this assumption, arguing that U. S. history has displayed a remarkably constant foreign policy tradition, which she labels unilateral internationalism. The United States, Restad argues, has not vacillated between an "exemplary" and a "missionary" identity. Instead, the United States developed an exceptionalist identity that, while idealizing the United States as an exemplary "city upon a hill," more often than not errs on the side of the missionary crusade in its foreign policy. Utilizing the latest historiography in the study of U. S. foreign relations, the book updates political science scholarship and sheds new light on the role American exceptionalism has played – and continues to play – in shaping America’s role in the world. This work will be of great interest to students and scholars of US foreign policy, security studies, and American politics.