After studying this chapter, you will be able to do the following:

1. Identify some of the basic elements of American political culture and their origin.
2. Describe the institutions of the congress and the presidency that make up the elected branches of government in the American system.
3. Describe the importance of the bureaucracy and courts in the United States political system.
4. Analyze the role that nongovernmental institutions—media, interest groups, political parties—play in American politics.