Explaining U.S. administrative law in nontechnical terms while also demonstrating its central position in the American political system, this comprehensive textbook emphasizes the fundamental challenge in government of making decisions that are both legal and politically acceptable. Author Kenneth F. Warren explores all of the most important and emerging administrative law topics, including the relationship between Congress, the president, the courts, and administrative agencies, as well as rulemaking, ordermaking, discretionary agency actions, public tort law, judicial review of agency actions, and administrative searches, seizures, and detentions.

Substantially expanded and revised, through the presentation and analysis of recent case law, this seventh edition documents and evaluates an ongoing “sea change” in U.S. public policy, including policies designed to deconstruct the administrative state. It further examines the growing role of executive orders on constitutional and administrative law and the balance of powers in American government, demonstrating the ways in which a weakened rule of law jeopardizes our democracy. Administrative Law in the Political System: Law, Politics, and Regulatory Policy, Seventh Edition is a sophisticated but accessible administrative law textbook written by a thoughtful social scientist for thoughtful social science students, especially upper division undergraduate and graduate students in political science, public administration, public management, and public policy programs.