Politics & Government

As far as topics go, politics may be as divisive as they come. Still, there's no escaping the role that it plays in our lives. The texts in this collection explore the gamut of how politics shapes and reshapes societies throughout history.

Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Race / Racism, Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice


Publication year 1884

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation

Tags Anthropology, Anthropology, Gender / Feminism, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government


Publication year 2002

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Education, Education, Science / Nature, Social Science, History: World, History: European, Politics / Government


Publication year 1996

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Urban Development, Race / Racism, History: U.S., Class, Sociology, History: World, Politics / Government


Publication year 1951

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Class

Tags Politics / Government, Philosophy, History: World, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Hannah Arendt’s 1951 The Origins of Totalitarianism is an examination of the origins and ideologies of Nazism and Stalinism in the first half of the 20th century through an examination of antisemitism, imperialism, and totalitarianism. Arendt charts the emergence of the Nazi and Bolshevik totalitarian regimes and how those regimes operated as governments. Arendt asserts that imperialism, not nationalism, created the framework for the success of totalitarian movements, and she claims that totalitarian movements capitalized... Read The Origins of Totalitarianism Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags History: World, History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, History: European, Colonial America

The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America (First Mariners Books edition 2017) by Andrés Reséndez, a Mexican historian working at the University of California Davis, won the 2017 Bancroft Prize and was a finalist for the National Book Award. In this book, Reséndez dispels the myth that only African slaves faced enslavement in the Americas. He focuses on Indigenous slaves in the Caribbean, central and northern Mexico, and the American Southwest... Read The Other Slavery Summary


Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Business / Economics, Journalism, Politics / Government, Crime / Legal, American Literature

The Pelican Brief is a 1992 novel by the American writer John Grisham. The legal thriller tells the story of Darby Shaw, a young law student who uncovers a vast conspiracy. The book was adapted into a film in 1993 starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington.Plot SummaryAn assassin named Khamel kills two Supreme Court Justices. Though the Justices were seemingly at different ends of the political spectrum, the same mysterious figure pays Khamel to kill... Read The Pelican Brief Summary


Publication year -1

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Fathers, Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Play: Tragedy, Ancient Greece, Play: Historical, Military / War, History: European, Politics / Government

Written and first performed in 472 BC, the ancient Greek tragedy The Persians by Aeschylus is the oldest extant example of the genre. Known as the father of Greek tragedy, Aeschylus was also a veteran of the Greco-Persian wars, on which The Persians is based. Because it depicts recent events, The Persians stands out from other plays of the genre, which for the most part focus on the distant past or mythological heroes. The approach was a... Read The Persians Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Class, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government

Tags History: European, Politics / Government, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, British Literature


Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Nation

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Jewish Literature, American Literature, Historical Fiction, Politics / Government

Philip Roth’s 2004 alternative history novel, The Plot Against America, is a reimagining of the years immediately preceding America’s entry into World War II. In 1940, in Roth’s version of events, Nazi sympathizer Charles Lindbergh wins the presidency and quickly begins instituting policies and attitudes that will shape the lives of all American Jews. Philip Roth is a child during the events of the book, and recounts the events that overtook his family during the... Read The Plot Against America Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government

Tags History: U.S., Food, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, History: World, Biography, Health / Medicine


Publication year 1998

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Sociology, History: U.S., Politics / Government, Education, Education, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Arts / Culture


Publication year 2008

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Politics / Government, History: World, Business / Economics, Sociology


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Future, Identity: Femininity

Tags Gender / Feminism, Science / Nature, Politics / Government, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy

Influenced by the dystopian futuristic vision of Margaret Atwood’s landmark 1985 feminist work The Handmaid’s Tale, Naomi Alderman’s 2016 novel The Power fuses genre elements of speculative fiction with the traditional historical novel. Part allegory, part satire, the novel depicts a near-contemporary world in which women move into positions of real power through an inexplicable genetic anomaly: they develop an extra braid of muscle along their collarbones that enables them to shoot devastating jolts of... Read The Power Summary


Publication year 1940

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Colonialism

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Religion / Spirituality, Class, Politics / Government, Poverty, British Literature, Christian literature, History: World

Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory (originally published in 1940) recounts the tragic story of the whisky priest. His religion has been outlawed, his faith shattered, and his history—like his name—all but erased. He’s relentlessly pursued by the lieutenant, whose secular beliefs are as passionate as others’ spiritual beliefs. The priest’s mere presence endangers those he once served, and he constantly struggles to fulfill his duty to bring comfort and absolution to others at... Read The Power and the Glory Summary


Publication year 1974

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags History: U.S., Urban Development, Business / Economics, Politics / Government, History: World, Biography

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York is a 1974 biography of American urban planner Robert Moses, written by journalist Robert Caro. The book charts the rise of Moses in the New York political system, illustrating how he came to shape the city according to his own designs. The book was widely praised by critics and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1975, though Moses and his associates disagreed with several points... Read The Power Broker Summary


Publication year 1956

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Class

Tags Sociology, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Social Science, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Climate Change


Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Politics / Government, Health / Medicine, History: U.S., Science / Nature, Sociology, History: World


Publication year 2013

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Crime / Legal, Children's Literature, History: World, Biography