American Government (textbook)

American Government is a textbook, now in its seventeenth edition, by the noted public administration scholar James Q. Wilson and political scientist John J. DiIulio, Jr. DiIulio is a Democrat who served as the director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives under president George W. Bush in 2001. Wilson, a Republican, chaired and participated in numerous White House task forces and commissions, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by president George W. Bush in 2003. Wilson died in March 2012.

The book examines and analyzes the government of the United States, covering every aspect of government from elections to interest groups. The current edition, American Government: Institutions and Policies also lists co-authors Meena Bose and Matthew Levendusky. It is published by Cengage Learning.

This book is currently used in both college and Advanced Placement high school courses across the United States. The book is roughly 780 pages and includes the U.S. Constitution, U.S. Bill of Rights, outcomes of various elections throughout U.S. history, and famous court cases. It is accompanied by a companion website that features practice test questions and detailed explanations on each chapter.