Vital Statistics on American Politics 2011-2012

There is no other print source, online source, or Web search engine that provides the wide range and depth of insight found in Vital Statistics on American Politics. This new edition is updated with the most recent information available. What sets this book apart is the experience of editors Harold Stanley and Richard Niemi. These scholars consult hundreds of sources to calculate and locate the data, facts, and figures that offer a vivid and multifaceted portrait of the broad spectrum of United States politics and policies. In over 230 tables and figures, students, professional researchers, and interested citizens will find chapters devoted to key subject areas such as elections and political parties, public opinion and voting, the media, the three branches of U.S. government, foreign, military, social and economic policy, and much more. For depth of information and ease of use, this volume is the best resource of its kind available and should be a key component of all academic and large public library collections.

Harold W. Stanley is the Guerin-Pettus Distinguished Chair in American Politics and Political Economy at Southern Methodist University (SMU). In 1979, he joined the University of Rochester Department of Political Science and served as its chair from 1996-1999. Known as an expert in American national politics and electoral change in the South, Stanley currently serves as associate provost at SMU. Richard G. Niemi is the Don Alonzo Watson Professor of Political Science at the University of Rochester. He is the coauthor of many books, including Civic Education: What Makes Students Learn and Voting Technology: The Not-So-Simple Act of Casting a Ballot. Niemi has written numerous articles on political socialization, voting, and legislative districting. He is currently doing research on civic education and voting.