Interlibrary Loan
Need to request a copy of a book that's not available at Lehigh? Use Interlibrary Loan to have books sent here. You will get an email when your book is ready for pickup.
Social Sciences Librarian
Reference Tools
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowAn excellent source for background information and getting started on a topic, CQ Researcher encompasses original, comprehensive reporting and analysis on issues in the news. It offers in-depth, unbiased coverage of political and social issues.
- Open CRS This link opens in a new windowProvides access to Congressional Research Service Reports already in the public domain.
Reference Books
The Almanac of American Politics 2014Available electronically.
American Political Parties and Elections: a Very Short Introduction by
Few Americans and even fewer citizens of other nations understand the electoral process in the United States. Still fewer understand the role played by political parties in the electoral process or the ironies within the system. Participation in elections in the United States is much lowerthan in the vast majority of mature democracies. Perhaps this is because of the lack of competition in a country where only two parties have a true chance of winning, despite the fact that a large number of citizens claim allegiance to neither and think badly of both. Or perhaps it is because in theU.S. campaign contributions disproportionately favor incumbents in most legislative elections, or that largely unregulated groups such as the now notorious 527 organizations have as much impact on the outcome of a campaign as do the parties or the candidates' campaigns. For instance, in two of thelast six presidential elections, the winner of the popular vote lost the election in the Electoral College; in two others, a change of fewer than 100,000 votes in selected states would have led to the same result. These factors offer a very clear picture of the problems that underlie our muchtrumpeted electoral system.The third edition of this Very Short Introduction analyzes these issues and more. Accounting for changes in electoral coalitions and the extent to which the American electorate is polarized in the wake of Donald Trump, L. Sandy Maisel explains how the system actually works while shining a light onsome of its flaws. He also looks closely at turnout questions; efforts both to ease access to the ballot in some states and to restrict access in others; and the role of social media in campaign strategy.
Publication Date: 2022
The Oxford Guide to the United States GovernmentCall Number: FM 3rd Floor North 320.473 P314oAvailable electronically.
