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.約翰遜(Dennis W. Johnson)，1972年獲杜剋大學政治學博士，後任教於弗吉尼亞聯邦大學並從事政治選舉谘詢工作，1993年起任教於喬治·華盛頓大學政治管理研究生院並在其間擔任副院長。約翰遜教授的主要研究領域為政治選舉谘詢、技術與政治、美國公共政策曆史等，著有《政治顧問與美國選舉》(Political Consultants and American Elections)、《雇用的民主》(Democracy for Hire)等專著。他曾以富布賴特傑齣學者的身份於2010—2011學年來華工作，為暨南大學本科生和研究生開設課程，並在多個高校和機構舉辦學術講座。