This book critiques a modern U.S. political system characterized by the partisan weaponization of bureaucratic systems and institutions.

Competition for political power in the United States today is not just about winning elections. Competing political forces attempt to win at the polls, but they do not bet all their chips on electoral outcomes. Each party has built an institutional bastion within portions of the federal bureaucracy. Each party makes use of judicial and criminal proceedings for partisan purposes—a practice dubbed “lawfare” by the national media. And, acting through various surrogates, each party sponsors “violence by proxy,” to achieve its ends. To the extent that political struggles are fought outside the electoral arena, ordinary Americans have little or no voice in public affairs. And, unfortunately, in the United States today, a good deal of political struggle takes place outside the electoral arena.

This book will be used in undergraduate and graduate classes in political parties, electoral politics, and in general U.S. government classes.