11 Books On American Politics To Read Ahead Of The Election
A Real Right To Vote by Richard L. Hasen
Richard L. Hasen is a professor at the University of California. His new book dissects the convoluted voting system in the US, which is notoriously tricky due to its state-specific laws, inconsistent regulations and complex electoral processes – not to mention the numerous barriers people encounter when trying to vote in the first place. Hasen also argues that the Supreme Court has made matters worse by failing to protect voting rights and limiting Congress’s ability to do so. His book draws on troubling stories of state attempts to disenfranchise military voters, women, African Americans, students, former prisoners, Native Americans and others. He explains how this constitutional right could reduce conflicts between political parties, cut down on endless lawsuits, and protect democracy from threats like those seen after the 2020 presidential election.
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American Carnage by Tim Alberta
If you only have time to read one book from this list, put this exposé by Tim Alberta to the top of your list. It’s less about Trump’s policies and controversies, and more about the internal politics of the Republican Party, illustrating how years of infighting allowed a former reality TV star to rise to one of the most powerful positions in the world. In the aftermath of Obama’s progressive agenda, with the nation rapidly changing its cultural identity, cracks in the Republican party deepened. With more and more Americans losing faith in the political class, the stage was set for an outsider to crash the party. Featuring original reporting, and based on hundreds of exclusive interviews with key players such as Trump and Ted Cruz, American Carnage takes readers behind the scenes of this tumultuous period.
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The World As It Is: Inside the Obama White House by Ben Rhodes
To understand the Democratic party as it is today, you need to understand the foundations that former president Obama laid during his eight years in office. And that starts with learning about Ben Rhodes. A young writer and Washington outsider, Rhodes was plucked from obscurity aged 29. For nearly ten years, he was at the centre of the Obama administration – first as a speechwriter, then a policymaker, and finally a close collaborator. Rhodes tells the full story of his partnership – and long-standing friendship – with the historic president. From the early days of the Obama campaign to the final hours in the Oval Office, he puts readers in the room at some of the most tense and poignant moments in recent history.
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Confidence Man: The Definitive Biography of Donald Trump by Maggie Haberman
Maggie Haberman is a senior political correspondent at The New York Times, and few journalists have covered Donald Trump more extensively. In this illuminating book, Haberman reveals all about Trump the man, the president and the phenomenon. Interviews with hundreds of sources and with Trump himself portray a complicated and often contradictory figure. Capable of kindness but relying on casual cruelty as it suits his purposes. Pugnacious. Insecure. Lonely. Vindictive. Menacing. Smarter than his critics contend and colder and more calculating than his allies believe. A man who embedded himself in popular culture for decades, laying the groundwork to galvanise support for a successful run for high office.
Available here
The Coming Storm: A Journey into the Heart of the Conspiracy Machine by Gabriel Gatehouse
This new book by British journalist Gabriel Gatehouse is an extension of his BBC Sounds podcast of the same name. The Coming Storm explores the conspiracy theories that are tearing America apart. It’s a story that takes you down a rabbit hole – one that both the US as a nation and he as a journalist fell through – to unpack a huge shift in political culture that starts in the earliest years of the Clinton administration and reached a crescendo in January 2021 with the storming of the US Capitol. But that event wasn’t the wild finale of a chaotic Trump presidency many hoped for – it was only the beginning…
Available here
Underground Empire by Henry Farrell & Abraham Newman
Beneath our feet lies a sophisticated network of fibre-optic cables and obscure payment systems that forms an underground empire, according to political scientists Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman. They argue that the US – and its government – has transformed these crucial economic pathways into instruments of domination over foreign nations, enabling it to maintain global supremacy. Their research reveals how this system allows the US to eavesdrop on other countries and isolate its adversaries. Meanwhile, nations like China and Russia are attempting to break free from this American-led structure, intensifying economic conflicts and sparking trade disputes. Underground Empire will help you understand the shifting power dynamics and the precarious state of the global order today.
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Where Have All the Democrats Gone? by John B Judis & Ruy Teixeira
As the presidential race enters its final stage, it’s becoming clear that the Democrats could lose the White House – and the outcome will be determined by voters in a few key swing states. Since 1992, American politics has been marked by increasing polarisation as both the Democratic and Republican parties have strayed from the political centre. In Where Have All the Democrats Gone?, journalists John B Judis and Ruy Teixeira examine the deeper forces reshaping the political landscape. It explores how the Democratic Party, once the champion of the working class and racial minorities, has shifted towards post-industrial centres, in turn alienating key voter groups. In this detailed critique, Judis and Teixeira offer a compelling argument for finding common ground to address the challenges facing America’s political system.
Available here
Divergent Democracy by Katherine Krimmel
In Divergent Democracy, Katherine Krimmel explores the evolution of the American party system, which has shifted towards issue-based competition over the past 50 years. Recent Democratic and Republican platforms highlight stark differences on key issues like abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, gun control and the environment, reflecting this programmatic party system. Using innovative machine learning techniques, Krimmel presents the first measure of party differentiation since the parties began competing in 1856. She explains that local party organisations focused on exchanging favours for votes slowed down the shift toward issue-based politics, while the rise of national parties helped push it forward.
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Landslide: The Final Days of The Trump Presidency by Michael Wolff
The US has given us some shocking moments in recent times, but few rival the tumultuous final days of Donald Trump's presidency. From the surreal staging of his re-election campaign and audacious election challenges to the chaos of the Capitol storming and the farce of his second impeachment trial, the White House was a scene of unprecedented disorder. In Landslide, Michael Wolff reveals the bizarre reality behind these events, showcasing a chaotic Oval Office filled with schemers and sycophants feeding Trump the ‘alternative facts’ he craved. As his inner circle dwindled to the least qualified, Trump entertained extreme ideas, including martial law, all while struggling to confront the insurrection threatening democracy itself.
Available here
What It Takes: The Way to the White House by Richard Ben Cramer
Written by Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Richard Ben Cramer, What It Takes provides an intimate look at the 1988 US presidential campaign through the lens of six candidates: George H. W. Bush, Bob Dole, Joe Biden, Michael Dukakis, Richard Gephardt and Gary Hart. This account captures a pivotal moment in American history, detailing events from Bush's Astrodome speech to Hart's Donna Rice scandal. Cramer explores how ordinary individuals develop the ambition, stamina and audacity to seek the presidency. Drawing on thousands of interviews, the book creates vivid portraits of these contenders and the entourages around them.
Available here
The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency by Chris Whipple
With a newly added chapter on the Trump administration, The Gatekeepers offers a behind-the-scenes look at the White House chiefs of staff, whose actions and inactions have shaped the course of American history. While Dick Cheney and Rahm Emanuel may have polarising personalities, along with Donald Rumsfeld and Leon Panetta, they exemplify the immense power these ‘gatekeepers’ hold in Washington. They control access to the president, negotiate with Congress, and can make or break an administration. Award-winning journalist Chris Whipple conducts intimate interviews with 18 living chiefs, revealing how effective leadership could have altered pivotal moments in US history, offering a compelling portrait of this challenging role.
Available here
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