Defying the Odds: The 2016 Elections and American Politics

by James W. Ceaser, Andrew E. Busch, John J. Pitney Jr.

Overview

Bitterness and joy, outrage and satisfaction, shame and pride, escapes to safe places and displays of celebration-these were just a few of the conflicting reactions that greeted the election of Donald Trump. One point lays beyond dispute: Donald Trump defied the odds, whether set by bookmakers or political pundits, or pollsters. In this book-as they have for every presidential election since 1992-James Ceaser, Andrew Busch, and John Pitney Jr. revisit the race for the presidency and congressional and state elections through the short lens of politics today and the long lens of American political history. At the core of the 2016 election, they seek to understand and explain the different reasons for Donald Trump's success at each stage of the campaign. With its keen insights into the issues and events that drove the 2016 election, Defying the Odds will be an invaluable resource for students and all political observers seeking to understand an election that was decades in the making and will continue to resonate throughout American politics for many years to come. Previous books in the series After Hope and Change: The 2012 Elections and American Politics, Post 2014 Election Update Epic Journey: The 2008 Elections and American Politics Red Over Blue: The 2004 Elections and American Politics The Perfect Tie: The True Story of the 2000 Presidential Election Losing to Win: The 1996 Elections and American Politics Upside Down and Inside Out: The 1992 Elections and American Politics

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442273474
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	03/31/2017
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

James W. Ceaser is professor of politics at the University of Virginia. Andrew E. Busch is professor of government at Claremont McKenna College. John J. Pitney Jr. is professor of government at Claremont McKenna College.

Table of Contents

Preface Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Twenty-Four Years Later: 1992 and 2016 Chapter 2: From Little Rock to Chappaqua: The Democratic Nomination Contest Chapter 3: Trumped: The Republican Nomination Contest Chapter 4: Race to the Bottom: The General Election Chapter 5: Red Down the Ballot: Congressional and State Elections Chapter 6: Aftermath and Future Index About the Authors

Editorial Reviews

Ceaser, Busch, and Pitney Jr. have done it again. Like their earlier campaign chronicles, Defying the Odds is a lively, scholarly analysis that makes sense out of the latest elections. The 2016 elections may have confounded the pundits and pollsters, but these scholars explain what happened and why with clarity and admirable detachment.

Mark J. Rozell

No presidential election in the last 25 years has produced such a surprising result as Donald Trump's victory in 2016. In Defying the Odds, James Ceaser, Andrew Busch, and John Pitney, explain how this seemingly impossible thing happened, and what it means for America and the future.

Michael Barone

Defying the Odds features terrific analysis of one of the most improbable presidential elections in our nation's history. Casting a wide investigative net, the authors ably depict the many influences behind the 2016 triumph of billionaire outsider Donald Trump and the Republicans. It’s a book teeming with original insights about a huge turning point in US politics.

Steven E. Schier

Defying the Odds arrives in the nick of time, offering a cogent, informed, and readable account of 2016 presidential campaign. Building on their previous campaign books, the authors provide invaluable context for theTrump era.”

John C. Green, Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics, University of Akron

John C. Green

The intellectual charm of the politics of presidential selection in 2016 lay in a tangled disconfirmation of conventional wisdoms, offered incessantly. Someone has to untangle this succession of anomalies, and who better than Ceaser, Busch, and Pitney? For them, the concept of ‘outsiderism’ is key, and they follow it from start to finish. It is a tour not to be missed. Get on the bus.”
– Byron E. Shafer, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Byron E. Shafer

Caesar, Busch, and Pitney continue the same effective style as their earlier After Hope and Change. The work concludes with what for some may be frightening words: ‘[a]nd if anything in politics is certain, it is that victory breeds imitation.’ Whatever one’s preferred electoral outcome might have been, certainly few if any of us want to take that ride again. Defying the Odds is a clear, concise, yet comprehensive retelling of the key events of the 2016 campaign. Once again, with limited use of political science jargon, Caesar and his coauthors make clear the lessons scholars and casual observers alike can draw from the events of the 2016 presidential election. As was the case with their earlier volume, the authors have provided an excellent accompaniment to texts for courses in campaigns and elections, the presidency, or recent political history. Defying the Odds will perhaps be more valuable as a contribution in these fields as time passes, the events are less raw, and we can place them in the context of the passage of time. Summing Up: Highly recommended.

CHOICE

Defying the Oddsis possibly the first meaningful “deep dive” into Donald Trump’s seemingly inexplicable triumph. It is sophisticated yet accessible and informative while remaining richly entertaining.

American Review of Politics

The series has been popular with political scientists teaching courses on American elections, and with good reason. Ceaser, Busch, and Pitney are astute election analysts, knowledgeable about American history, institutions, and principles. They write clear prose, with due attention to both trees and forest.... Meanwhile, our wild ride continues, and Ceaser, Busch, and Pitney give one of the best accounts of the track just behind us.

Public Discourse

Caesar, Busch, and Pitney continue the same effective style as their earlier After Hope and Change. The work concludes with what for some may be frightening words: ‘[a]nd if anything in politics is certain, it is that victory breeds imitation.’ Whatever one’s preferred electoral outcome might have been, certainly few if any of us want to take that ride again. Defying the Odds is a clear, concise, yet comprehensive retelling of the key events of the 2016 campaign. Once again, with limited use of political science jargon, Caesar and his coauthors make clear the lessons scholars and casual observers alike can draw from the events of the 2016 presidential election. As was the case with their earlier volume, the authors have provided an excellent accompaniment to texts for courses in campaigns and elections, the presidency, or recent political history. Defying the Odds will perhaps be more valuable as a contribution in these fields as time passes, the events are less raw, and we can place them in the context of the passage of time. Summing Up: Highly recommended.

Choice