Includes bibliographical references (p. 275-277) and index.

Preface -- 1: Introduction -- Who runs for president -- Exploratory stage -- Primary and caucus schedule -- Presidential nomination -- General election campaign -- Electoral college -- Term of office -- Roads to the White House -- 2: Chronology Of Presidential Elections -- Emergence of the electoral process -- Age of Jackson -- Idea of the party system -- Slavery divides the nation -- Postwar radicalism -- Age of republicanism -- Age of reform -- Return to normalcy and the roaring twenties -- New Deal coalition -- Breakup of consensus -- New conservative discourse -- Clinton era -- New century, old partisanship -- 3: Presidential Primaries -- Front-loaded process -- Evolutionary process -- Nominations reform: reversal of fortune -- Nominations today -- 4: Popular Vote Returns For President -- Presidential popular vote returns: minor candidates and parties, 1824-2008 -- 5: Electoral College -- Constitutional background -- Methods of choosing electors -- Historical anomalies -- Election by congress -- Counting the electoral vote -- Reform proposals -- Presidential disability -- 6: Electoral Votes For President, 1789-2008 -- Electoral votes for vice presidential, 1804-2008 -- 7: Biographical Directory Of Presidential And Vice-Presidential candidates -- Selected bibliography -- Illustration credits and acknowledgments -- Index.

Product Description: This comprehensive resource explains with detail and clarity the evolution of presidential elections. Now updated to include comprehensive coverage of the 2008 contest between John McCain and Barack Obama, as well as vote totals for the states that held presidential primaries in 2008, this convenient volume explains the process through which the president is elected including the complexities of the Electoral College system. Readers will find information on who runs for president and how the process works from primaries to inauguration; the contests held for every presidential election from 1789 to 2008; the impact of the primary and caucus systems; popular and electoral votes for all presidents from 1789 to 2008; the role of the Electoral College and related political debates; and a biographical directory of U.S. presidential and vice-presidential candidates. Enhanced with data tables, maps, portraits of candidates, political cartoons, and other illustrations, this unique volume brings to life the history and processes behind presidential elections for a wide range of readers. Priced affordably with limited budgets in mind, this updated edition of Presidential Elections will become an essential part of public, academic, and high school library collections.