Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, is a great novel about the battle between socialism and capitalism. It is a very good book. And there are quite a few political systems discussed within the novel, each individual in the book displays a different political belief. It's long, but very interesting.

Who is John Galt? I don't agree with much of anything regarding Ms. Rand's politics, but I've read Atlas Shrugged and found it entertaining.

God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It by Jim Wallis. I found it very up to date regarding the current political environment.

Sounds interesting. It also reminds me of What's The Matter With Kansas by Thomas Frank, which attempts to explain the role of religion in politics and how it's used to influence people to vote against their own interests.

i did some reading up on reading that book after only having skimmed some of Rand's other works: though she was a somewhat rational person, she built racism and classism into most of her work. i can enjoy books that subvert religion for the sake of getting a story to make sense, and i can really dig on a writer going over and under any political structures, but Rand (and the institute that bears her name) make a very false argument about genetics, race, western culture, and godlessness being the best way to be.

whew... Peoples History of the United States should be required reading for all citizens of the good ole USA.

People's History is a great one. And they've also published Voices of A People's History of the United States, which contains a lot of the source material for the original book, like speeches and songs and diaries and so on. It's a good 'un.