University of Michigan Press Presidential Elections, 1789-2008: County, State, and National Mapping of Election Data

Review This impressive work by Deskins, Walton, and Puckett combines a visually striking four-color represntation with a descriptive analysis of American presidential voting results at the national, state, and county level for every election from 1789 to 2008. ... Of particular value to researchers is the analysis of county-level changes in the electorate—material that is often difficult to find." - Choice (Highly Recommended) Product Description From Washington to Obama, this is the single best source on U.S. presidential elections. ""Presidential Elections"" is an almanac of the popular vote in every presidential election in American history, analyzed at the county level. Most Americans are familiar with the crude red state/blue state maps used by commentators and campaign strategists - and even, for want of an alternative, by many academics. In providing a higher-resolution view of voting behavior than we have ever had before, the authors of this new volume enable us to see local and regional political trends that are invisible in state-level aggregations. ""Presidential Elections"" will enable scholars to more subtly analyze voting behavior, campaigns, and presidential politics; commentators will use it to analyze trends and trace the historical evolution of new coalitions and voting blocs; strategists will use it to plan campaigns and mobilize constituencies. The data for each election presented in a stunning four-color map and a set of graphs accompanied by a brief history of the campaign will become the standard almanac on the subject: a required resource for academic and public libraries, as well as for scholars, consultants, and pundits nationwide. About the Author Donald R. Deskins, Jr., is a political geographer and Emeritus Professor of Sociology and a former Associate Dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts at the University of Michigan. Hanes Walton, Jr., is Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan. He also holds positions as Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Political Studies and as a faculty member in the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies. Sherman C. Puckett is manager of the Wayne County Geographic Information System's Department of Technology.