At a time when political labels are hurled carelessly in the public square, Sanford Lakoff provides a careful and highly accessible introduction to ten political ideas that have shaped modern thinking. Each chapter traces the history and examines the meaning of one of these ideas, clarifying its meaning and impact by examining its history and interpretation. By explaining what these ideas have come to mean, both those we may endorse and those we may deplore, Lakoff challenges readers' preconceptions and promotes critical thinking about the big questions of politics. The result will appeal to all readers interested in the history of political ideas.

"Sanford Lakoff’s aptly titled Ten Political Ideas that Have Shaped the Modern World is both a timely exploration of the genesis and trajectory of some of the most salient ideas in Western political thought and history, and a capstone that unifies and expands research spanning Lakoff’s long and fruitful career. As with any large-scale study of political ideas and their practical fortunes, Lakoff’s book is significantly shaped by the initial choice of ideas to be included and explored….Lakoff’s approach to the study of political ideas is salutary both in the decisiveness of his exposition and in his recognition that his very subject matter comprises ideas whose meaning, origin, and significance are not only contestable, but regularly contested….The book is arguably at its best in the examination of American political culture through the confluence of several ideas that continue to animate and shape it." - The Review of Politics