Synopses & Reviews
“ This lucid, richly documented analysis is required reading for students of the George W. Bush presidency and American politics more generally.”— Fred I. Greenstein, Professor of Politics Emeritus, Princeton University, and author of The Presidential Difference: Leadership Style from FDR to George W. Bush.
“In this important, accessible, and thoroughly engaging book, Jacobson brilliantly dissects the extraordinary partisan polarization of the Bush era. He combines a lively narrative with remarkable data analysis–drawing together findings from literally thousands of polls, in more than seventy illuminating figures, many of which knock your socks off. . . The book is a must-read for anyone seriously concerned about the political process in the United States.”
- Paul J. Quirk, Professor and Phil Lind Chair in U.S. Politics and Representation, University of British Columbia
"…Head and shoulders above other books on the presidency of George W. Bush. Jacobson's carefully documented analysis, backed up by extensive reporting and data, demonstrates the purposefulness of the polarizing strategies of the Bush administration, and the reality behind the rhetoric of "I'm a uniter not a divider." Unlike most books about Bush, Jacobson's is neither ideological nor polemical.”
-Thomas B. Edsall, Washington Post political reporter and author of Chain Reaction: The Impact of Race, Rights, and Taxes on American Politics (with Mary D. Edsall), The New Politics of Inequality, and Red America: The Conservative Coalition and the Drive for Permanent Power, (forthcoming, Basic Books.)
“This is an important book. Jacobson marshals evidence and analyzes the dynamics of public opinion to explain why George W. Bush is the most polarizing president in the history of systematic polling. His analysis is incisive and balanced.”
-James P. Pfiffner, George Mason University
“A masterful analysis and a major contribution. Applying over a half century of poll data, Jacobson places George W. Bush's presidency and the war in Iraq in broad historical context and derives insights that intrigue and impress.”
-John Mueller, Professor of political science and Woody Hayes Chair of National Security Studies, Ohio State University and author of War, Presidents and Public Opinion, Policy and Opinion in the Gulf War, and The Remnants of War.
Synopsis
Written by one of the most respected scholars and writers in political science, Gary Jacobson, this book uses data to show that the partisan polarization in America today is part of a decades-long trend, and analyzes the reasons why the public is even more divided than ever along party lines about George W. Bush.
Synopsis
Updated in a new 2nd edition, this book relies on hard data to analyze the reasons why the public has always been - and even today continues to be - divided along party lines about George W. Bush. As part of the "Great Questions in Political Science" series it is written by one of the most respected scholars and writers in political science.
About the Author
Gary Jacobson is a Professor of Political Science at the University of California at San Diego. His 1980 book, Money in Congressional Elections, won multiple awards. Since its publication, Jacobson has published numerous books and papers about American politics, Congress, campaign financing, and partisan polarization. He has served on many advisory boards, including the NSF Political Science Advisory Panel. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Yale University.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Primed for Partisanship
Sources of Partisan Polarization
Partisan Polarization in Congress
Polarization and Electoral Change
Is Polarization Confined to Activists?
Religion and Partisanship
Economic Inequality and the Ideological Fragmentation of the Mass Media
Conclusion
III. To the White House Through Florida
One of Us
The Campaigns
The Vote
Florida
Conclusion
IV. The First Two Years: Before and After 9/11
The Bush Agenda
Tactics
After September 11
The 2002 Election
God’s Instrument
V. Going to War in Iraq
The Case for War
Saddam and 9/11
The Public’s Response
Bringing Congress on Board
Popular Support for a Discretionary War
VI. Illusion, Disillusion, and Faith in the President after “Mission Accomplished”
Revising the Case for War
The Iraq Rally
The Widening Partisan Divide on Iraq
Belief in the War’s Premises
The President’s Credibility
The Religious Factor
Multivariate Analyses
Conclusion
VII. The 2004 Elections: Mobilized Bases, Reinforced Divisions
The Democratic Nomination
An Avalanche of Money
The War in the Campaigns
Opinion Leadership
Rational Ignorance?
Mobilizing Voters
The Vote
The Congress
Aftermath
VIII. President of Half the People
A Mandate?
The Campaign to Revamp Social Security
Why the Campaign Failed
The Bipartisan Consensus
Other Issues
The Terri Schaivo Case
The Iraq War, Again
Unwavering Christian Conservatives
Conclusion
IX. Conclusions and Speculations
Does Bush Care?
Competing Realities
The News Media
Hurricane Katrina
After Bush
X. A Postscript on 2006
Going Public Again on the War
The Tactical Component
The Democrats’ Response
Intentional Polarization
The 2006 Midterm Elections
The Vote
A Change of Course?
A Uniter at Last?