The chapters in this volume address the issue of why and how foreign observers view American politics the way they do. By including selections from five of the most widely cited foreign observers of American politics and history, this volume not only provides and engaging historical overview of American democracy, but also directs attention to how and why these interpretations inform debate today. Included in the volume are excerpts from classic texts by Alexis de Tocqueville, James Bryce, Gunnar Myrdal, Harold Laski, and Simone de Beauvoir.