Political history has always been described as the internecine struggle for power by countervailing elites for control of the state apparatus. This socioeconomic analysis is not to be equated or confused with the class struggle theory of Marxist-Leninists or the Trotskyist theory of bureaucratic collectivism later adapted by contemporary neoconservatives.  From the earliest colonial days preceding the establishment of the American republic, our history has been characterized by such factional conflicts between power brokers, fixers, and elite insiders. With this in mind I call to the attention of LRC readers and recommend a delightful thin little volume I received as a gift last Christmas, 30-Second Politics: The 50 Most Thought-Provoking Theories in Politics, Each Explained in Half a Minute. It is an exceptional concise guide to the going debates regarding ideological belief systems and the typology for classifying political regimes. Some alert readers may detect a very slight Hayek-Friedman bias in describing libertarianism but compared to most mainstream academic or journalistic accounts focusing upon the spectrum of political opinion and belief this is extremely marginable. It is a perfect gift for your high school or college student who you want to bring up to speed in knowledge of this area, or for everyday readers who want to acquaint or refresh their memories with “no-frill, no-spin, tell-it-like-it-is” descriptions and accounts of the language of politics and statecraft.

The Best of Charles Burris