Tools
KCLS Resources
To save browsing time in the KCLS Catalog, this bibliography lists election-related materials in the KCLS Collection, including e-resources and subscription databases.
Books for Students
Books for Adults
Books for Students
Are American Elections Fair?
by Stuart Kallen
Opposing viewpoints on the fairness of elections in the United States, discussing the Electoral College, electronic voting machines, and the participation of felons and non-citizens in the electoral process.
Election Day
by Marc Nobleman
Discusses, in basic terms, voting and other Election Day topics, and contains a glossary of terms and other supplemental information.
Elections and Voting
by Antony Lishak
Focus on voting and elections, and how they affect people in different ways, bringing together personal stories that highlight the issues. Hear from a disillusioned citizen, a South African voter, a female voter, an Afghan actor, a teenager, an independent politician, a student council candidate, and others.
The Electoral College
by Martha Hewson
Overview of the Electoral College, going back to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, early elections, as well as how the electoral process is working today. The book ends with the question: “Should the Electoral College system be changed?
Federalists and Anti-federalists: How and why political parties were formed in young America
by Gregory Payan
Uses primary source material to show young readers how and why political parties in the United States came to be. It includes information on early politics and the earliest political parties in our young country.
Friendly Foes: A look at political parties
by Elaine Landau
Describes the history and platforms of the two major political parties in the United States–Democratic and Republican–as well as the bigger third party movements.
History of the Democratic Party
by Bruce Fish
Traces the origins of the Democratic Party, discussing key figures, conventions, platforms, and its organization.
History of the Democratic Party
by Heather Wagner
An in-depth history of this major political entity. When first established by Thomas Jefferson in 1800, today’s Democratic Party was actually known as the Republican Party. Today’s Democratic Party is the oldest political party in the United States. Chronicles the development of the Democratic Party and the evolution of the American political process.
History of the Republican Party
by Norma Jean Lutz
Traces the origins of the Republican Party, discussing key figures, conventions, platforms and its organization.
History of the Republican Party
by Heather Wagner
Since its formation in 1854, the Republican Party has undergone many profound changes. Wagner fully examines the development of this party, including its prominent figures, key events and ideological trends.
Latino Americans and Political Participation: A reference handbook
by Sharon Navarro
Examines the historical involvement of Latino Americans in U.S. politics and their contribution to the evolving civil rights of all American citizens. Includes an overview of Latino Americans, political opinions and issues of key importance, followed by Latino American participation in protest politics, social movements and interest groups, electoral politics, and political office-holding.
National Elections and the Political Process
by Bryon Giddens-White
Looks inside the workings of the U.S. election system, exploring topics such as the struggles of minorities and women to gain the right to vote, the origins of the Electoral College, and the process of electing national, state, and local leaders.
Native Americans and Political Participation: A reference handbook
by Jerry Stubben
Surveys the contributions Native Americans have made to the democratic process and the political power that tribes and leaders have wielded since Europeans first set foot on American soil. Also provides a historical overview of Native American culture and politics, and analyzes current tribal census, economic and social data, and political opinion surveys.
Political Parties, Interest Groups, and the Media
by Geoffrey Horn
Covers the realities of politics in America, from the importance of political parties, to the lobbying of interest groups, to the influence of the media on elections.
Politics, American Style: Political parties in American history
by Isobel Morin
An in-depth look at the evolution of political parties in America from the Constitutional Convention era to today. Readers will come away with an understanding of the workings of politics, including the role of third parties in the political machine, and the benefits of a two-party system.
The Progressive Party: The success of a failed party
by Hilarie Staton
This Snapshots in History volume examines the Progressive Party founded by 1912 by former President Theodore Roosevelt and other reform-minded Republicans. Other political parties and presidential administrations have since adopted reforms that started out as part of the Progressive Party platform.
The Republican Party: The story of the Grand Old Party
by Dale Anderson
Describes the origin and history of the Republican Party, including a timeline of events, a list of historic sites, and a safe Web site for additional information.
Running for Office: A look at political campaigns
by Sandy Donovan
Describes what is involved in running a political campaign, from deciding to run for office through election night.
Selma and the Voting Rights Act
by David Aretha
Chronicles the events surrounding Dr. Martin Luther King and his attempts to organize peaceful marches to protest voting injustices experiences by black voters in the South and in Selma, Alabama in particular. For grades 3-7.
Third Parties: Influential political alternatives
by Lisa Klobuchar
Provides a look at the history and influence of third political parties in United States history.
Voting
by Sarah De Capua
Covers the topics of voting: who can vote, how votes are cast and counted, and why should you vote. Includes a glossary plus a “To Find Out More” section listing books, organizations and Internet sites. For elementary students.
Books for Adults
Black Box Voting: Ballot tampering in the 21st Century
by Bev Harris
This expose on electronic voting documents more than 100 cases where voting machines miscounted elections. Internal memos detail the source code and programming that controls voting machines used worldwide.
Brave New Ballot: The battle to safeguard democracy in the age of electronic voting
by Aviel Rubin
The electronic voting machines being used in 37 states are easily vulnerable to tampering. The manufacturers are not required to reveal how they operate—even to the government agencies that buy their services. Without retainable—recountable—paper ballots, voters will never know if their votes are recorded properly. Outlines steps to take the next time you vote to make sure that your vote is counted accurately.
Crunchy Cons: How Birkenstocked Burkeans, gun-loving organic gardeners, evangelical free-range farmers, hip homeschooling mamas, right-wing nature lovers, and their diverse tribe of countercultural conservatives plan to save America (or at least the Republican Party)
by Rod Dreher
At a time when the Republican party, and the conservative movement in general, is bitterly divided over what it means to be a conservative, the author introduces us to people who are pioneering a way back to the future by reclaiming what they feel is best in conservatism.
Democracy’s Edge: Choosing to save our country by bringing democracy to life
by Frances Lappe
From Jefferson to Eisenhower, presidents from both parties have warned us of the danger of letting a closed, narrow group of business and government officials concentrate power over our lives. Such a democracy is always at risk of being stolen by private interests or extremist groups, left and right. The author contends that the answer is in a powerful yet often invisible citizens’ revolution surging in communities across America. He suggests that it is not random, disjointed activism but the emergence of a new historical stage of democracy in which Americans realize that democracy isn’t something we have, but is something we do.
Divided America: The ferocious power struggle in American politics
by Earl Black
Explores, from a regional perspective, the divisions between liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans. A wealth of data illustrates the regional realignment of voters that is driving contemporary U.S. politics: how the South and West have moved toward the Republican Party, the Pacific West and Northeast have become Democratic strongholds, and the Midwest hangs in the balance.
Feingold: A new Democratic Party
by Sanford Horwitt
A compelling independent biography about Russ Feingold, a staunch civil libertarian, who represents the progressive side of the Democratic divide. Feingold places a high value on honest, efficient government, investment in public education, health and infrastructure, and curbs on corporate power and other wealthy interests in the political process. He is noted for working with Republican John McCain on campaign finance reform legislation. Feingold shows how a new, reinvigorated Democratic Party can stand for progressive ideals, resist the corrupting influence of special interests and win elections.
Framing the Debate: Famous presidential speeches and how Progressives can use them to change the conversation and win elections
by Jeffrey Feldman
Outlines ways to unleash the power of communication in contemporary progressive politics. Using fifteen key speeches by American presidents, Feldman defines the big ideas and images–the "frames"–that each speech evokes, and shows how those framing techniques can be applied to today's political debate to promote a progressive perspective.
Gaming the Vote: Why elections aren’t fair, and what we can do about it
by William Poundstone
At least five U.S. presidential elections have been won by the second most popular candidate, but these results were not inevitable casualties of the American voting system. In all five cases, the vote was upset by a "spoiler"–a minor candidate–who took enough votes away from the most popular candidate to tip the election to someone else. The answer to the spoiler problems lies in a system called range voting, which would satisfy both right and left. Already widely used on the Internet, range voting is the fairest voting method of all, according to computer studies. Despite these findings, range voting remains controversial, and Poundstone assesses the obstacles confronting any attempt to change the U.S. electoral system.
How to Rig and Election: Confessions of a Republican operative
by Allen Raymond
Fresh out of grad school, the author joined the GOP for one reason: rumor had it that there was big money to be made on the Republican side of the aisle. From the earliest days of the “Republican Revolution” through its culmination in the second Bush White House, the author played a key role in helping GOP candidates twist the truth during a decade of crucial and bitterly fought campaigns. The author offers an astonishingly frank look at the black art of campaigning and the vagaries of the Republican establishment.
If They Only Listened to Us: What women voters want politicians to hear
by Melinda Henneberger
Soon after the 2004 presidential election, the author set out across the country to listen to women of all ages and occupations express their strong opinions on the major issues of our time. The author shines a light on what women voters are thinking and how that translates into how and for whom they vote. The issues that these women focused on were Iraq, abortion, the environment, globalization and job loss, corruption and lack of trust in the government and the entire electoral process.
King County Elections Operations, 2005
In 2005, the King County Council mandated a management audit of the Elections Section of the King County Records, Elections and Licensing Services Division. The Council’s goal by ordering this audit was to restore voter confidence in the county’s election process. Voter confidence had been eroded due to process breakdowns that occurred in recent elections that were highlighted by the exceptionally close gubernatorial election of 2004. The report finds additional opportunities to increase management controls, strengthen election procedures and practices and improve the policy environment that drives the elections processes. A total 0f 25 recommendations are addressed in this report.
New American Story by Bill Bradley
The author believes that America is at a teachable moment when we are compelled to reevaluate our political system, our leadership, our agenda as a nation, and ourselves as citizens. He shows why the story we are being told now about who we are as a people is not true, and explores what changes need to be made in our parties, in our politics, and in citizen activism to ensure America's future.
One Party Country: The Republican plan for dominance in the 21st Century
by Tom Hamburger
The author discusses in great detail the misuse of Executive Branch power for raw political purposes, through redistricting, micro-targeting, fundraising, arm-twisting, and other techniques. Republicans are well poised to compete in every forthcoming election, in every district, for years to come. Democrats are confident going into 2008, but the Republican advantages endure. Through a rigorous examination of the GOP machine, Hamburger reveals how a true Democratic resurgence faces steep barriers erected by conservatives who have worked to build their dominant position since the days of Barry Goldwater.
The Political Brain: The role of emotion in deciding the fate of the nation
by Drew Westen
The author contends that we vote with our hearts, not our minds. He investigates the role emotions play in determining the political life of our nation, and identifies three things that determine how people vote: their feelings toward the parties and their principles, feelings toward the candidates, and feelings toward the candidates' policy positions. These discoveries could utterly transform electoral arithmetic, showing how a different view of the mind and brain leads to a different way of talking with voters about issues that have tied the tongues of Democrats for much of forty years—such as abortion, guns, taxes, and race.
Positively American: Winning back the middle class majority one family at a time
by Chuck Schumer
The author offers his plan for capturing the middle-class vote and moving the Democratic Party back into the majority. As the results of the last presidential election played out, it became clear that while Democrats call themselves the party of the middle, the middle class does not consider the Democrats their party. The author offers the reader detail proposals he believes would keep America safe, secure, and on top; while supporting the aspirations of a prosperous and growing middle class while speaking to anxieties created in a world changed by technology and globalization.
Republic.Com 2.0
by Cass Sustein
The author rethinks the critical relationship between democracy and the Internet in a world where partisan Web logs have emerged as significant forces in politics, and cyber-jihadists have embraced the Internet to thwart democracy and spread violence. The author demonstrates that the real question is how to avoid "information cocoons," ensure that the unrestricted choices made possible by technology do not undermine democracy. Sustein also proposes new remedies and reforms, focusing far less on what government should do, and much more on what consumers and producers should do to help democracy avoid the perils–and realize the promise–of the Internet.
A Second Civil War: How extreme partisanship has paralyzed Washington and polarized America
by Ronald Brownstein
The author analyzes the forces that have made this era in American politics as divisive and bitterly partisan as any since the Civil War. Brownstein diagnoses the electoral, demographic, and institutional forces that have brought such change over the American political landscape leaving precious little common ground for compromise. The book captures the currents that have carried America to today's dangerous impasse, from little-understood changes in congressional rules that made it easier for parties to enforce discipline and discourage compromise, the rise of special-interest pressure groups, and a vastly changed media environment that is much more vicious and much less serious. At the end, the author does provide a menu of clear and compelling ways out of our collective dilemma through unifying leadership.
Steal This Vote: Dirty elections and the rotten history of democracy in America
by Andrew Gumbel
A colorful history of electoral malfeasance in the United States. The author shows that, for all the idealism about American democracy, free and fair elections have been the exception, not the rule. Growing use of computer technology in order to increase ease and efficiency of voting is adding to concerns over security. Gumbel lays the blame for this fiasco on a corrupted political environment created by both major parties, and on a large number of state and county election officials more interested in appearances than in the integrity of the democratic process.
Stealing Democracy: The new politics of voter suppression
by Spencer Overton
Politicians spew shallow sound bites that describe a "free" American people who govern themselves by selecting their representatives. In reality, politicians from both parties maintain power by selecting specific voters. Elected officials and bureaucrats control thousands of election practices that determine political winners and losers, including the location of election district boundaries, the number of voting booths at urban polling places, and English-only ballots. Overton, a professor at George Washington University Law School, uses real-life stories to show how these seemingly insignificant practices channel political influence and determine policies on war, schools, clean air, and many other issues that shape our lives. He also exposes the pressure points in this Orwellian system and provides strategies toward restoring government by the people, such as removing redistricting power from self-interested partisans and renewing parts of the Voting Rights Act. Overton's compelling case is vital to the future of our democracy."
Stealing Elections: How voter fraud threatens our democracy
by John Fund
The author explores the real divide the country faces with the looming election. He claims that elections can be decided by the votes of dead people, illegal felon voters, and absentee voters that don't exist. Fund asserts that, if nothing is done to address the growing cynicism about vote counting, another close presidential election that descends into bitter partisan wrangling is just around the corner.
The Strange Death of Republican America: Chronicles of a collapsing party
by Sidney Blumenthal
A penetrating journalistic and historical examination of the ongoing collapse of Republicanism, this work closely charts the Party’s imploding reputation in America and the world, as well as the potential consequences of George W. Bush’s radical presidency for the 2008 election.
Tragedy and Farce: How the American media sell wars, spin elections, and destroy democracy
by John Nichols
The author contends that the very structure of our conglomerated media system conspires against real journalism and, hence, against truth. Nichols’ book is both an exposé and a call to action. Analyzing the 2004 presidential election, the author states that media mis-coverage of the campaign and the Iraq war decided the election. This flawed coverage reflects new, structural problems within U.S. journalism.
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Last Updated: October 12, 2011