The American Elections of 2008

The American Elections of 2008 assembles leading political scientists and journalists to explain the election results and their implications for America's future. Topics include financing the elections, religion's influence, the media, and how the George W. Bush legacy affected the outcome. The book also explores Congressional behavior in the twenty-first century and discusses how it affected election results in 2008.

Table of Contents:
1 Preface 2 The George W. Bush and Bill Clinton Legacies in the 2008 Election 3 The Campaign and the Media 4 Democratic Marathon, Republican Sprint: The 2008 Presidential Nominations 5 The General Election Campaign 6 Partisan Surge and Decline in Congressional Elections: The Case of 2008 7 Public Opinion in the 2008 Presidential Election 8 Religion in the 2008 Election 9 Campaign Finance in the 2008 Election 10 The Meaning of the 2008 Election 11 Index 12 About the Contributors

About the Author :
Janet M. Box-Steffensmeier is Vernal Riffe Professor of Political Science, courtesy professor of sociology, and director of the program in Statistics and Methodology at Ohio State University. She is the coeditor of the 2008 Oxford Handbook of Political Methodology with Henry E. Brady and David Collier and coauthor of Event History Modeling: A Guide for Social Scientists with Bradford S. Jones. Steven E. Schier is Dorothy H. and Edward C. Congdon Professor of Political Science at Carleton College. He is the author or editor of eleven books, most recently Panorama of a Presidency: How George W. Bush Acquired and Spent His Political Capital and numerous scholarly and media articles.

Review :
The amazing election of 2008 is going to spawn a generation of analysis of why Barack Obama won and what the repercussions of that victory prove to be. Here's a smart start-from the impact of George W. Bush's legacy to the role of religion-by some of the nation's most respected political scientists. Beyond the election of the nation's first African American president, they argue in this informative set of essays, 2008 may well mark a major shift in American politics that echoes for decades. Here's a look at how that happened. [O]ffers wide-ranging perspectives on the meaning and effects of the election, and is an excellent starting point for analysis of the unfolding Obama presidency and the 111th Congress as they head towards 2010 and 2012. The American Elections of 2008 offers wide-ranging perspectives on the meaning and effects of the election, and is an excellent starting point for analysis of the unfolding Obama presidency and the 111th Congress as they head towards 2010 and 2012. This collection of smart and solid essays on the 2008 election offers valuable insights on why Barack Obama won and the implications of his victory for American politics in the years to come. It opens an intriguing debate: Was 2008 the beginning of a realignment?