Exploring the history of US politics from the first European contact with the ‘New World’ in 1492, up to the 2024 presidential elections, this book is an engaging account of America’s development from colony to world superpower. Using religion as a central theme to navigate through this vast topic, it moves beyond the realm of political parties, leaders and ideologies to understand how politics has intersected with the individual and societal hopes, fears and values which have underpinned US political culture and theology. Taking the reader from colonial times and the constitution through the civil war, the New Deal, the Cold War and into contemporary America, A Political History of the USA offers a compelling yet balanced account of US political, cultural and religious history, ideal for undergraduate students of US history and politics. New for this edition: - Updated discussion on the constitution to understand recent events such as the overturning of Roe v Wade - Three new chapters on 1972 to the 2024 election covering topics such as the COVID pandemic, the rise of China and the Ukraine War - Additional material on race and gender, through the eyes of African Americans and women - Expanded discussion on the rise of social media and politization of cable news - New timeline of major events