Votes of Confidence

June 6, 2016
This timely handbook offers a thorough, accessible overview of American elections and voting in six chapters that explore the history and workings of the government, the voting process, political parties, becoming informed about relevant political issues, how elections works, and political engagement. Fleischer avoids hot-button topics, instead looking at the traditional definitions of the Republican and Democratic parties and the practical side of how elections unfold, including discussions of the electoral college, the contested 2000 election, presidential debates, and the role of public opinion polls (“When evaluating poll data, it’s always important to look at how the question was worded”). Fleischer’s well-contextualized, nonpartisan approach results in a valuable resource for readers looking to understand and become involved in a complicated system while avoiding spin. Ages 14–up.

March 15, 2016
Neither the American electoral nor political process is simple. And if you think so, you've likely got it wrong. Fortunately, self-described political nerd Fleischer is here to clarify things. In a particularly winning voice, abetted by numerous intriguing anecdotes and trivia, Fleischer commences at the beginning, with an origin story (Revolution, Articles of Confederation, Constitution, Bill of Rights), before moving on to mechanics. He issues an implicit challenge with his introduction--"If there's one thing we know for sure about American government, it's that a lot of Americans don't know much about it"--and then goes on to make sure readers buck that trend. His discussion of the electoral college is a fine example of his compressive clarity: the college is a compromise measure to rein in populous states while avoiding the pitfalls of giving too much power to Congress and state legislatures. It has its drawbacks, but it is not as egregious as push polling ("one of the sleaziest of political dirty tricks") or hindering voter registration. Fleischer works plenty of civics and history into this study of the revelatory power of politics--"Strom Thurmond and George Wallace demonstrated that racists were a large voting bloc"--so his closing suggestions on how readers can get involved and be heard are perfectly placed. Fleischer's primer tenders a wealth of insight in a generous and welcoming manner. (resources) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

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May 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-In a conversational style, Fleischer attempts to make Civics 101 a little more interesting. He breaks down many terms and aspects of the election process to bring some clarity to what seems to be a long, convoluted method of choosing our nation's leaders. The author provides many historical examples to illustrate his discussions of how and why elections work the way they do. This method, at times, proves to be quite tedious to read, as the true focus of the title is on promoting political participation in young people. The logic is that older adults vote more consistently; therefore, their issues and problems get more attention. Fleischer makes a strong case that if younger people voted more regularly, their concerns might become a larger focus for elected representatives. The sections on political volunteerism are well done, giving information that encourages readers to become involved even if they cannot use the ballot box. Discussions on the role of language and polls on language usage (for instance, the effectiveness of "death tax" vs. "estate tax") during campaign promotions are a great way to get students thinking about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into commercials and rallies. This book is a timely addition to educate new and prospective voters, and it is not so specific to render it obsolete after the 2016 election cycle.

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