This fascinating work examines in detail the relationship between American politics and films, from Birth of a Nation to Fahrenheit 9/11. It provides a decade-by-decade survey of politics and films of all types - comedies and dramas to biographies and documentaries - as well as a helpful framework that students and general readers can use to analyze the political content of films. The book also features an examination of film techniques as they relate to political films, an exploration of the effects of real-world politics on Hollywood, and a practical guide to writing film analysis, as well as a guide to web-based film resources and an extensive "Political Filmography." Throughout the book, the authors emphasize both the political messages transmitted through films and the political values that are reflected in them.