US Politics Annual Survey 2026 continues a decades-long series written mainly for students of A-Level U. S. Politics. Written by two trusted, experienced and well-known authors. This year’s edition focuses on the eventful year that has been Donald J Trump’s first year in office for his second term. The authors aim to explain what makes this first year of Trump 2.0 such an unusual and controversial ‘honeymoon period’. They explore how Trump has used both the formal, but even more so the informal powers, of the president to pursue his agenda with fewer guardrails than during his first term. Areas covered include executive orders, his Cabinet picks, pardons and the use of the bully pulpit. Space is also devoted to how this impacts areas including federalism, Congress and both main political parties, while also surveying the key Supreme Court rulings and looking ahead to the 2026 mid-terms. The survey concludes with a fresh look through the lens of 2025, at the classic debate over how far the American presidency is imperial or imperilled.
