Politics and negotiation are an inherent part of games like Diplomacy, but there are also plenty of games that directly tie into politics, American and otherwise. Here's a sampler of board games and card games with a political theme.

Caesar
2 to 6 players, ages 12 and up
Power politics is the name of the game here, as players vie to be crowned Caesar in ancient Rome. Each Senator starts with equivalent resources; it's who cuts the best deals and who bribes the right officials that determines the winner.

From Prism Games.

The Game of Politics
2 to 6 players
This game, first released by designers Mr. and Mrs. Oswald B. Lord in 1935, divided the U.S. into six sections. Players competed in each section, trying to win enough counties in each state to earn the nomination. The most unusual aspect of the game is that it actually required players to place pins in the board to mark the counties they had won -- damaging the board in the name of playing the game! The Game of Politics remained in print until 1960. This information is culled from the Summer 2000 issue of Gamers Alliance Report, published by Gamers Alliance.

Hail to the Chief
2 to 4 players, ages 10 and up
History, politics, U.S. geography and strategy merge in this game, where knowing the answers to tough questions will bring you victory. Four levels of difficulty, covering topics like past presidents and the Constitution, allow young and old to compete together. From Aristoplay.

Kennedys
Transogram, 1962
The cover shows the faces of six Kennedy family members carved into a mountain, a la Mount Rushmore.

I'm not sure whether this actually has a political element or is more personality-driven.

Presidents Game
1 to 6 players, ages 8 and up
This game rewards knowledge of presidential history. Includes a free poster. From EMA. Plenty of Civil War trivia games also are available.

Trust
A seemingly simple game designed to promote both cooperation and backstabbing. The rules are still in development, but no purchase is required to play. Players negotiate proposals, then vote on the results without knowing for sure who has proposed what.

More Political Games:

• 1960: The Making of the President (Z-Man Games, 2007)
• Banana Republic (Doris and Frank)
• Candidate (Avalon Hill)
• Candidate (Shaw Games)
• Consensus (Scientific Games Development Corp.)
• Corruption (Atlas Games, 1999)
• Democrazy (Descartes Editeur, 2000)
• Die Macher (Hans im Gluck, 1997)
• Election (Fireside Game Co., 1896)
• Koalition (Hexagames, 1996)
• Landslide (Parker Brothers, 1971)
• Mr. President (3M, 1962)
• Politics (Sterling, 1900)
• Road to the White House (Mayfair)

President Bill Clinton

During his eight years in office, President Clinton provided game makers with plenty of material, enough perhaps to consider Clinton games as their own sub-genre of political games. Because of the mature (or immature, depending on your perspective) content of these games, many are not suitable for children. If they were movies, they would be rated at least PG-13.

Clinton: The Game of Scandal and Statesmanship
This game was shipped in a brown tube wrapped with a "Clinton" cigar band, giving you some idea of the attitude behind this game. The Clinton board game puts players in the shoes of William Jefferson Clinton, giving you the chance to decide whether lying or telling the truth is the better course. How will you respond when the DNA tests come back conclusive? From 2020 Associates.

MegaDittos: The Pursuit of Truth
A pure trivia game focusing on American heritage and politics in the 1980s and 1990s. With a definite conservative spin, the board includes spaces like "Hillary saw you going to your own doctor -- Go Back 3 Spaces." More than 1,000 questions in categories like "In the News," "Heroes" (think Reagan and Schwartzkoff) and "Founding Fathers." From L&M Games.

Politics as Usual
Players compete to avoid major scandals, avoid impeachment and boost their poll numbers. Although the Clinton scandals are spelled out on dozens of Trouble Cards, this party game doesn't rely on knowledge of esoteric political events. Rather, drawing certain Trouble Card combinations and getting lucky (no pun intended) with the Action Cards and Poll Cards, along with some good dice-rolling, will leave you smiling.

Willie's White House
Trade favors, take polls and learn new trivia in this entry. Knowledge of politics is helpful, but not necessary. It looks like the game producers intend to expand to other presidencies if Willie's White House is a success. From West Shore Games.