Written in a lively, narrative style and presenting a provacative point-of-view, this book gets to the heart of Americans' frustrations with our government. Acknowledging that cynicism tends to make people withdraw from civic life, this book examines why our government can seem so unsatisfactory, identifying the heart of the American political system: strong democratic aspirations among our citizens conflicting with the republican constitutional foundations on which the country is based. DEMOCRATIC ASPIRATIONS, REPUBLICAN CONSTITUTIONAL FOUNDATIONS; POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: A HELP OR HINDRANCE TO DEMOCRACY?; GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS; WHAT GOVERNMENT DOES: PUBLIC POLICIES. Anyone interested in understanding our government and why Americans are cynical about government.