324. Books on the political process

Further Reading

Ari Berman Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America, 2015.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 allowed millions of Americans, mostly minorities, the right to vote where they were previously forbidden. But Ari Berman details the forces that have fought hard to push back on those rights on all levels and across all branches of government.

Richard Ben Cramer What It Takes: The Way to the White House, 1992.

Journalist Ben Cramer looks at recent candidates of his time to determine what characteristics presidential candidates must have in order to endure the brutality of a presidential campaign. What is finds is by turns amazing and appalling.

Alexander Keyssar The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States, 2001.

For years, many Americans have been apathetic towards their right to vote. Historian Alexander Keyssar looks at the ways the marginalized, by race, sex, or religion, have been kept from exercising those rights.

For more information on the Further Reading series, please see Further Reading: Start Here.