The United states operates under a constitutional democracy. In our system, the Constitution lays out the basic rules of the game under which politicians act to accomplish their different agendas. "Politics" is a broad term that can be used to describe what happens between these politicians in pursuit of their goals. "Government" is another broad term that encompasses the many different institutions enumerated by the Constitution in which the politicians function. Political science studies the interaction among politics, politicians, the government, and, within the American context, our constitutional
