This reader for courses in recent American history emphasizes political participation and popular culture. Its main theme is the relationship of Americans to their government--for example, how Americans as a people remain skeptical of big government even as they expect it to facilitate large programs such as Social Security. Unlike most postwar American history books that are presented in one volume and tend to emphasize the 1950s and 60s, The American Paradox comes in a complete version and a version that covers U.S. history since 1968, providing full coverage and analysis of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.