Reviews (94)

Good book worth reading
I like the DailyKos, but frankly I was not optimistic that the crossover to political writing would be a good one.I was wrong...The book is well-written and well-reasoned with a lot of good ideas and commentary.

Save your money
What a complete and utter waste of time.Its obvious how these guys got dubbed the nutroots.

A Decent Effort, With Good Insights
This book starts slowly, and doesn't really take off until the second half, when one arrives at the chapter called "The Gravy Train," which critiques the consultant-oriented way of DC Democratic politics.From that chapter on, the authors do a good job of discussing the current state of electoral politics, especially at the congressional level, and how the losing paradigm is slowly yielding to the new, "netroots"-driven politics that were initiated with the Howard Dean presidential campaign in 2003.
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Subjects:  1. Blogs    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. Political Advocacy    4. Political Ideologies - Conservatism & Liberalism    5. Political Ideologies - Democracy    6. Political Process - Elections    7. Political Process - Political Parties    8. Political Science    9. Political aspects    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics, Practical    12. Politics/International Relations    13. United States   

Reviews (4)

read it again
A friend of mine told me: "If you are a candidate and you only have time to read one book during your campaign, you must read it. If you have time to read two books, you must read it twice." This book is simply excellent.

I learned so much
nuff said. Hands down best in subject matter.

A misguided, poorly written, painfully arrogant analysis
"The Reasoning Voter" has all of the marks of an academicwannabe who suggests the American people really aren't so stupid.Pity thestudents who buy this book--they're the only one who do, to be sure. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Election    2. Political Process - Elections    3. Political campaigns    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Presidents    7. Public Speaking    8. U.S. Presidential Elections    9. United States    10. Voting    11. Elections & referenda    12. Political Science / Elections    13. USA   

Subjects:  1. History & Theory - General    2. Political Process - Elections    3. Political Process - Leadership    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Representative government and    8. Representative government and representation    9. Political Science / History & Theory    10. Political science & theory    11. Political structures: democracy   

Reviews (1)

3 stars for effort, but not well-executed
Kernell and Jacobson try to combine historical and rational-choice understandings of American government in this text, but not in a particularly successful manner.The issues of collective action and free rider problems are above the heads of most undergraduates, who care about what actually happens in politics, not what a game-theoretic model in a book thinks should happen.Read more

Subjects:  1. Civics & Citizenship    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. Political Process - Elections    4. Political Process - General    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics and government    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Textbooks    10. United States    11. Central government policies   

Subjects:  1. Comparative government    2. Democracy    3. Political Ideologies - Democracy    4. Political Process - Elections    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Public Affairs & Administration    9. Voting    10. Elections & referenda    11. Political Science / General   

Reviews (7)

Well-written overview, but quite dated
This is another good primer into runner for or managing a local (smaller than state-wide) election. Unfortunately it never made it past a first edition, so while you'll see a 1998 publishing date for the paperback (1st paperback edition), the content itself hasn't been udpated since 1986. Other reviews do a good job of saying what you'll get in the book so I won't be redundant. As many newer texts have come out on the same topic you're much better off with one of them, even "How to Win a Local Election: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide" by Lawrence Grey is a bit more up-to-date. Arent't the fundamentals of running for office still the same? Sure, but many critical elements have changed: leveraging computers for mailing lists + consituent communication, using databases + specialized vendors to create house-by-house targeted street walking maps, the diminished importance of bumper stickers and "chochkies," and the importance of the web. These are all little things, but when added together, they're important. Until this book is updated with a newer edition, you're better off with another book.

Same old stuff.
These books are like Suzie Ormans books, read one and you Good overview of political scene...
This book presents a good overview of running for office, with all the information you need laid out in a logic, concise format.The only concern I have is that it could use a little more info in some areas - several times I thought to myself, "how?" or "what else should I do?" but the book presented no answer - on the whole, though, this is a good, good book.Read more

Subjects:  1. Political Process - Elections    2. Political Process - General    3. Political Science    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Political Science / General   

Editorial Review

No one gets the inside story like Bob Woodward, the reporter of the Watergate scandal who has made a career of investigating -- and writing about -- the inner workings of the highest levels of government. In Read more

Reviews (10)

A Good Read for Anyone
If you want to read a book about politics, this is the book to read.Even if you are skeptical or apathetic towards American politics, I would still recommend this book to you-- it might make you more interested in the subject.Woodward takes us behind the scenes of the 1996 presidential elections, showing us the intricacies and complexities involved.He does a powerful job of keeping this potentially flat topic lively and engaging. The first time I read this was in 1998, and I am still raving about it.

A Good Read for Anyone
If you want to read a book about politics, this is the book to read.Even if you are skeptical or apathetic towards American politics, I would still recommend this book to you-- it might make you more interested in the subject.Woodward takes us behind the scenes of the 1996 presidential elections, showing us the intricacies and complexities involved.He does a powerful job of keeping this potentially flat topic lively and engaging. The first time I read this was in 1998, and I am still raving about it.

How Bob Dole won the 1996 primaries
Woodward carefully documents the early stages of the 1996 presidential election, covering mid-1994 to April 1996. Note that the book's coverage ends before the national party conventions. Woodward tries to give equal treatment to both parties, but Republicans clearly cooperated with him much more than Clinton's staff (who no doubt feel burned by Woodward's earlier expos� of Clinton, 'The Agenda').More than anything else, this is a character study of Bob Dole, who candidly shared his thoughts with the author throughout the period. We also learn a great deal about Powell, Forbes, and Dick Morris.Read more

Subjects:  1. U.S. Presidential Elections    2. Politics - Current Events    3. U.S. Government    4. Presidents    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Elections    7. General    8. Government - U.S. Government    9. Political Process - Elections    10. Central government    11. Clinton, Bill    12. Current Events / General    13. Dole, Robert J    14. Elections & referenda    15. True Stories    16. USA    17. c 1990 to c 2000    18. United States    19. 1996    20. Presidential candidates    21. Election   

Reviews (1)

Refreshing persectives
This book offers a very easy to read review of one important approach to electoral engineering.In doing so we can only hope that some of the now traditional (and rather stodgy) perspecives of dehumanised mathematical proportionality, so powerful in recent decades, may finally enjoy a little intellectual competition.Read more

Subjects:  1. Case studies    2. Conflict management    3. Democracy    4. Economic Conditions    5. Elections    6. Political Process - Elections    7. Political Science    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Elections & referenda    11. Elections--Case studies    12. Political Science / General    13. Political economy    14. Political ideologies    15. Political science & theory    16. Political structures: democracy   

Reviews (16)

There's Something Rotten in the State of Ohio
In his book "Armed Madhouse..." author Greg Palast quotes Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. "It's not the votes that count. It's who counts the votes." After you read the dry but factual 116 pages of this book, you will come to the inescapable conclusion that the election was stolen from presidential candidate John Kerry and given to Mr. Bush.
An American Patriot, John CONYERS For President.
As with his always-learned, always JUDICIOUS "sponsorship," or whatever the REPUB. "Americans$$," allowed him to term it, of the explosive DOWNING STREET MEMO(S) hearings of June, 2005, Congressman Conyers has done it again, with this telling and factually-based book, telling just a part of the story, of yet again, the FAS$CISTS$, ie the REPUB. "Americans$$$," under this "King" George The Second, with his Utterly SERVANTILE, Election-THIEVING CRIMINAL, as Ohio's only ALLEGED 'Secretary of State," IE his being the Co-CAMPAIGN HEAD for OHIO, of the BUSH-CHENEY Campaign.
Democrats always right, Republicans always wrong

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Subjects:  1. 2004    2. Contested elections    3. Election    4. General    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. Ohio    7. Political Process - Elections    8. Political Science    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Presidents    12. United States    13. Elections & referenda   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Democracy    3. General    4. History    5. Political Process - Elections    6. Political Science    7. Political participation    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Voting    11. Elections & referenda    12. Political Science / General    13. Political economy   

Reviews (7)

Couldn't send it due to bankrupcy or something?
I never got this book though I ended up being refunded.

Congress The Electoral Connection
The goals of individual congressmen have a significant impact on the quality and power of Congress as an institution.The exact role of Congress is a much debated issue but it can be safely stated that at a minimum, Congress is to make quality public policy, which in aggregate, benefits the nation as a whole.The extent to which this is achieved is in large part dependent on the willingness and ability of Congress as a collection of individual goals and desires to strive toward this end. Really?
Mayhew comes to the earth-shaking conclusion that politicians want to be re-elected. Do you really need to read a book to tell you that -- give me a break! This was known by my grandfather who never attended school beyond the third-grade. Save your time and save your money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Congress    2. Elections    3. Government - Legislative Branch    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. Political Process - Elections    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. United States.    10. Central government    11. Political Science / General    12. USA   

Reviews (7)

Elegant Description of aTransformation in American Politics
This book provides an elegant description of one of the most important transformations of American politics: the end of the Dixiecrats and the transformation of the Solid South from the Democrats to the Republicans. He importantly connects this with the rise of the power of the caucus and leadership. It also has implications for the crisis of partisanship in Congress. REVIEW
From the Publisher: "Nelson Polsby has been studying, reading about and hanging around the U.S. House of Representatives for more than 40 years. In "How Congress Evolves", he provides the definitive--and often witty-account of how the House has changed over time, and why." Michael Barone, coauthor, "The Almanac of American Politics"

Polsby at his best
"How Congress Evolves" is elegantly written, cogently argued, and politically astute. Nelson Polsby gives his readers the benefit of four decades and more of immersion in and observation of Congress, along with his penetrating insights into politics, people, and institutions, and a writing style that is at once accessible and sophisticated. Novices and experts, students and practitioners, scholars and journalists, all will learn immensely about how the House of Representatives works and how it changes."--Norman Ornstein, American Enterprise Institute ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Congress    3. Congress.    4. Government - Legislative Branch    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. History    7. House    8. Political Process - Elections    9. Political Science    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics/International Relations    12. United States    13. United States.    14. Central government    15. History of specific subjects    16. Political Science / Congress    17. Political structure & processes    18. Politics | American Politics | Legislative Studies    19. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    20. USA   

Subjects:  1. Government - U.S. Government    2. Political Process - Elections    3. Political Science    4. Politics - Current Events    5. Politics and government    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Textbooks    8. United States    9. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    10. Political Science / General    11. USA   

Reviews (3)

Jamieson lets readers in on the dirty side of democracy
Campaigning strategy has become the first and foremost informational tool citizens use to evaluate the political arena of today's democratic society. The problem that arises through this medium is that what the public see's, hears, and witnesses is not always factual. Campaign analyst Kathleen Hall Jamieson, presents a book in which this such topic is addressed. Arguing for fair, accurate, contextual, comparative, and engaged campaign discourse; Jamieson explains to her readers the proper way in which to objectively evaluate bias political paraphernalia. She provides insight in how to listen, read and watch political campaigns without becoming what she calls a "Pack Rat." According to Jamieson, "What is shown is not necessarily what is seen. What is said is not always what is heard."(Page 9) By reading this book carefully, one becomes familiar with how to evaluate a politician's agenda and how to successfully walk away with the `facts'. Jamieson sets her book up in four themes. First she talks about attack in political campaigning, past and present. She then goes on to discuss news broad cast and advertisement, continuing with news coverage of campaigning. She finalizes her thoughts by discussing the norms of discourse. By carefully calling to attention the usage of political sloganeering, manipulative television representation, and false `facts' to create a political figure; Jamieson exposes it all in Dirty Politics.

Engaging Arguments
As a professor of communication, I have enthusiastically used Kathleen Hall Jamieson's Dirty Politics as a text that makes sense of so much of what we see in nationally televised politics.Students invariably comeaway from reading Jamieson with a much deeper apprecation for politics--andwhat ails it.The strength of this text is in the attention to detail;specifically, Jamieson grounds her study in focus group research.And inthose instances where she doesn't utilize such research, her readings ofvarious televisual advertising is usually nuanced and insightful.The onedrawback to the text, one that Jamieson would perhaps actually endorse, isits elitism; that is, only certain sorts of elites watch the Lehrer NewsHour (to which she contributes frequently), and have the educational skillsto do the hard work of argument, engagement and debate that she so heartilyendorses.Politics isn't a spectator sport; in this text, Jamiesonencourages us to get up off the couch and actually engage--and thereby holdcandidates accountable for the discourse of Democracy.

This book is badly written.
Upon entering 1oth grade Honors Government and Economy, I was forced to read this book to enhance my summer project.Throughout reading this book I came to the conclusion that this was a poorly written book.AlthoughKathleen Hall Jamieson's book contains good thoughts, she uses anover-exceedingly amount of adjectives in the process of communicating herphilosophies.However, despite my distaste for her writing, Kathleen HallJamieson's book, "Dirty Politics", contains valuable informationand is a decent book for someone who enjoys researching the medias'influence on presidential campaigns. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Advertising & Promotion    2. Government - National    3. Political Process - Elections    4. Political Process - Political Parties    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Advertising    9. Elections & referenda    10. Media studies    11. Political Science / Political Parties    12. Politics | American Politics | Elections, Public Opinion, & Voting Behavior    13. USA   

Subjects:  1. 1964-    2. African Americans    3. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    4. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - Histor    5. Government - Executive Branch    6. History    7. History & Theory - General    8. Political Process - Elections    9. Political Science    10. Political Science (Specific Aspects)    11. Politics and government    12. Politics/International Relations    13. Sociology    14. Suffrage    15. Elections & referenda    16. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    17. Political Science / Elections    18. Political Science / General    19. USA   

Editorial Review

A lot of big-shot journalists didn't like this book, a systematic jeremiad about the current sad state of American political journalism.For instance, both the Read more

Reviews (20)

Compared with "Looking at the sun", this book is a mess
Compared with "Looking at the sun", this book is a mess...the author's point is simply buried by messy stories one after another, as if he just can't deliver his analytical thinking clearly. This is a huge style problem with almost all best sellers today. Americans don't want to think and can't think now. A used copy of this book is for sale only for 1 cent...

good book but not his best work
Fallows is very smart and an excellent writer.This book is very good but I do not believe it to be his best work. However, this is an important part of any survey or recent books on the large problems within the US media.

Liberal vs. Conservative?No Contest
I first met James Fallows online in the early '90s, and then in person several times.For a Rhodes Scholar and Harvard grad, he was surprisingly in touch with the realities I knew as a moderate Westerner living in the East.He was kind enough to give me a copy of Breaking the News, and I found it to be a great read.It offered new perspectives and excellent explanations on the sorry state of today's journalism, far beyond the traditional but simplistic explanation of "liberal bias."Jim's perspective truly transcends the partisan and raises issues above the divisive fray that almost tragically seems to divide our great country.Although critics may contend that Jim offers a liberal apologist's view that liberal bias is not the primary problem (or even much of a problem at all), even my friends who are staunch conservatives should find little to disagree with and much to learn in "Breaking the News." ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Journalism    2. Mass media    3. Media Studies    4. Objectivity    5. Political Process - Elections    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Press and politics    8. Sociology    9. United States    10. Social Science / Media Studies   

Reviews (1)

A pleasant challenge
I'm a Freshman at a German university. I had to read most chapters of this book for a class project. First of all I have to state that this book has a really sophisticated language and is quite hard to read for Undergraduatestudents. I think that Mr. Cox did an excellent work with this book. Theexcellence starts already with the very logical structure of this book:Parts, Chapters, Sub-chapters and one more sub-division of eachsub-chapter. In the first three chapters, Mr. Cox gives us a very detailedinsight on electoral systems and the different schools of thoughts aboutthe linkage between electoral systems and party systems. I could easilystate that someone who is totally "illiterate" about electionswould not have any difficulties reading the book, since every single aspectis being represented in the first three chapters. Then Cox moves on themuch more exciting discussions: The game-theoretic stage of strategicvoting. Once more in this part of the book, his very structured division isremarkable. In each of the chapters, he does not only talk about theelectoral backgrounds only, he also emphasizes the importance ofmicroeconomics (an individual's maximization of utility). Since the readeris also someone eager to maximize its own utility, the themes proposed byCox about strategic voting in the local level make all sense perfectly.Finally Cox has included some chapters about the Macroeconomic level ofelections. Themes about the general effects of electoral systems on thewhole political system (for example national party system, the compositionof the parliament, government policies and coalitions) are discussed ingreat depth. After having read his detailed chapters about the local"economics" of voting, it was very exciting for me to also learnsomething about the macro effects of electoral systems. I want to make someremarks about the chapter construction as well. In every single chapter,Cox has written a sort of introductionbriefly stating what he is going toexamine in that chapter. Then at the end, he summarizes the key themes ofthat specific chapter. Even at the end of each part of the book, he doesnot fail to include a Conclusion as well. His empirical studies andexamples that he cites to prove his themes are - to my opinion - unique inthe literature that I have studied so far. I would encourage everyoneinterested with that topic of the linkage of electoral systems and partysystems to read and study this book.However I want to conclude my reviewby reemphasizing that this book includes numerous theoretical themes whichmay be hard to understand for English as a second language Undergraduatesor even for native Undergraduate students. But it is an enjoyablechallenge! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comparative government    2. Elections    3. Political Process - Elections    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Voting    8. Elections & referenda    9. Political Science / General    10. Political economy   

Reviews (3)

This Book is A Must For Community Oriented Leaders.
I have read this book over and over again. The more I read the more I find myself talking about it to our Political and community Leaders. This book is a must for leaders with a vision for the community in their rural areas.I have started community projects as a result of reading the book. JohnMacharia Director, Insight Technologies Ltd. Nairobi, Kenya.

An Antidote to Cynicism about Politics
This book should inspire anyone who feels that our government is no longer capable of making a positive difference.It traces the development of a citizens' lobby on hunger and poverty issues and details the incredible results the group achieved.Buy one for the armchair activist in your life

Anyone can take small actions & really fight poverty/hunger
This is the story of RESULTS, a NON-partisan grassroots, citizens lobbying group that fights hunger, poverty and death due to preventable disease by learning how to successfully create relationships with members of Congress and the media.They have helped the Child Survival fund come into being and grow to $600 million, and have seen a drop in infant mortality and increases in immunizations.They work on global and domestic issues, and are now promoting microenterprise lending to poor families, mostly to women.The results of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, and other microenterprise projects in the U.S. and abroad have been remarkable.And these are "everyday" people... teachers, moms, workers, students...very moving book!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Lobbying    3. Political Process - Elections    4. Political participation    5. Politics/International Relations    6. RESULTS (Group)    7. Sociology    8. U.S. Practical Politics    9. United States    10. Political structure & processes   

Subjects:  1. Democracy    2. Judaism - General    3. Political Ideologies - Democracy    4. Political Process - Elections    5. Political Process - Leadership    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics and government    8. Religion    9. Textbooks    10. U.S. Government (General)    11. United States    12. Political Science / General    13. Political structures: democracy    14. USA   

Editorial Review

Political spin-doctoring has become something of an art form in the last few decades. It was less artful in the early years of the information age, and Crouse's entertaining look at the attempts of both the Nixon and McGovern '72 campaign staffs to control the media seems almost comical, so poor were they at the image-and-sound bite manipulation that now defines our politics.Crouse is a serious-minded journalist, however, and his firsthand report on how political news is made and shaped remains important reading.Check out Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 for a more madcap view of the same matters. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Classic reveals the press as they were
This brilliantly conceived and executed book pulled back the curtain on the culture of covering presidential campaigns much like Theodore White's The Making of the President before it. Smooth and seemless prose is marred only slightly by the contrived tactic of attempting one line physical descriptions of principals "a bull of a man," "a lovely and smart woman," etc.
Before Jon Stewart there was...
Imagine Jon Stewart (minus the constant snark) wrote a book about the White House press corps and political journalism generally as they covered the presidential contest in 1972 and you are close to what this book is all about. While writing for Rolling Stone, Crouse examines the phenomenon of "pack journalism" - the tendency for the major reporters to all write the same stories and not stick their necks out very far. Some of the quotes he gets from the more observant political reporters are equally applicable today as then. Take Brit Hume, "What they [the press] passes off as objectivity is just a mindless kind of neutrality."
Set the Standard
This book is an account of the 1972 presidential campaign.Crouse's account set the standard for books about presidential campaigns; a standard that has not yet been beaten.Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History: American    3. Political Process - Elections    4. Politics / Current Events    5. United States - 20th Century    6. History / United States / 20th Century