Library Journal
Clift (contributing editor, Newsweek) and Spieler (political writer, Voterpunch.org) present the first offering in a new series on how American government works, aimed primarily at high school seniors and college freshmen. The authors concisely and objectively explain the basic structure of America's electoral system and skillfully use anecdotes from past campaigns to explore how the process has changed from the election of George Washington to that of Barack Obama. The entire chain of events from primaries to election and taking office is covered, but the authors do not get overly technical. The book does a great job of bringing election history to life through stories and examples (e.g., the down-to-the-last-ballot Bush-Gore race of 2004 and the 2008 Democratic primary race), rather than sticking with a textbook formula found in more advanced academic tomes such as Nelson W. Polsby and others' Presidential Elections: Strategies and Structures of American Politics. VERDICT In our hot election year, this one is valuable for both high school students and adults looking for a simple explanation of the often complicated election process. Its focus makes it most appealing for current collections.—Carrie O'Maley, Indianapolis P. L.
Kirkus Reviews
The first in the publisher's Fundamentals of American Government series explains the machinery of our presidential electoral system. Political pundit Clift (Two Weeks of Life: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Politics, 2008, etc.) and policy analyst Spieler surely possess the firepower to compose a sophisticated, in-depth presentation about how Americans select their chief executive. They confine themselves here, however, to the basics. While not wholly without utility outside the classroom, their primer aims at high-school students or, say, immigrants contemplating citizenship. (If you can define the 30+ words in the glossary--e.g., "dark horse," "grassroots," "stump speech," "president-elect"--you probably don't need this book.) Delivering all necessary rudimentary information, the authors briskly cover the elements of a presidential contest from the early caucuses and primaries through the conventions, general election campaign, Election Day and inauguration. Whatever the topic, the authors regularly draw on historical examples to add a bit of merciful color to their simple presentation. Both major parties receive equal time: For every invocation of Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, John McCain or Herbert Hoover, there's one of FDR, William Jennings Bryan, Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton. In addition to the glossary of elementary political terms, the appendix contains the presidential oath of office, the electoral vote tally for all past presidential candidates, some suggestions for further reading and the complete text of four consequential pieces of campaign rhetoric, including Senator Obama's 2004 nominating speech on behalf of John Kerry that spotlighted the newcomer from Illinois, and Hubert Humphrey's anti-segregation 1948 convention address. For beginners, the ABCs of the curious, occasionally baffling way we go about the important business of choosing a president.
