For better and sometimes for ill, Congress is a reflection of the aspirations, wants, and priorities of the American people. It reflects the kaleidoscope of special interests and unselfish service to others, of favors sought and sacrifices made. During each two-year session of Congress, thousands of pieces of legislation are proposed, many hundreds are given serious consideration, but far fewer are eventually enacted into law. Most enactments have limited impact, affect few, and are quietly forgotten in the flow of legislative activity. However, a small number of laws has risen to the level of historical consequence. These are the laws that have shaped America, and they are the subject of this book. Which pieces of legislation were the most significant for the development of the nation? Which have had an immediate or lasting impact on our society? Which laws so affected us that we could not imagine how our lives would be without them? Dennis Johnson vividly portrays the story of fifteen major laws enacted over the course of two centuries of American democracy. For each law, he examines the forces and circumstances that led to its enactment - the power struggles between rival interests, the competition between lawmakers and the administration, the compromises and principled stands, and the impact of the legislation and its place in American history.

丹尼斯·W.约翰逊(Dennis W. Johnson)，1972年获杜克大学政治学博士，后任教于弗吉尼亚联邦大学并从事政治选举咨询工作，1993年起任教于乔治·华盛顿大学政治管理研究生院并在其间担任副院长。约翰逊教授的主要研究领域为政治选举咨询、技术与政治、美国公共政策历史等，著有《政治顾问与美国选举》(Political Consultants and American Elections)、《雇用的民主》(Democracy for Hire)等专著。他曾以富布赖特杰出学者的身份于2010—2011学年来华工作，为暨南大学本科生和研究生开设课程，并在多个高校和机构举办学术讲座。