During the summer of 2011, Professor Bradley Rasch embarked on a lengthy train trip through Germany with a group of European college professors.As often happens with foreigners and Americans, it was not long before the conversation turned to American politics and government. As Rasch fieldedquestions from his fellow passengers about the American government and how it works, he soon realized that his explanations were teaching him much about his country as well.Here, Rasch details the discussions from that journey as well as the reactions of the professors, ultimately challenging myths and deep truths and bringing to light the strengths and weaknesses of this influential country. While describing the basics of American government and politics in an informative, thought provoking style, Rasch combines his own love of history and passion for his country to present an informative study that addresses diverse questions: - What is the American dream?- Why is the president not elected by popular vote?- What is American exceptionalism?- How does the United States government really work?- What do the two parties agree on?Explaining and Defending American Government shares an insightful, eye-opening glimpse into the true state of the government and politics of the most powerful nation in the world.