Introduction: the preschool puzzle -- Early childhood policy and the American welfare state -- Historical precedents and forces for change -- A watershed episode: the comprehensive child development act -- Venue shopping, federalism, and the role of the states -- Congressional activity and the dissolving early childhood coalition -- Policy stability and political change in the 1980s -- The congressional heritage of a critical juncture -- The contemporary preschool movement in the states -- Conclusion: the future of preschool politics.