Presidential Swing States

Reviews / Votes

During presidential election campaigns, the media throw around terms like 'bellwether state,' 'battleground state,' and 'swing state.' Average voters can easily be confused by these terms, especially when journalists and pundits seem to use them interchangeably. Editors Hecht and Schultz seek to clarify these terms and demonstrate why such states are so important to campaign strategists, political analysts, and electoral outcomes. Students of presidential campaigns, whether in colleges, pressrooms, or campaign backrooms, will find the descriptions of the history and politics of 12 states useful. . . . [I]t may take readers a while to grasp the distinction the editors seek to make between bellwether, battleground, and swing states. Still, the book provides a needed explanation of these terms and does an excellent job of painting a picture of each of the states, while making a case that two of them should not be counted as swing states. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. * CHOICE * This first-of-its-kind book that explains why some states are more decisive and important in American presidential elections than others. * Hamline University News * The authors offer a first of its kind examination of why some states are swingers in presidential elections. * Forest Lake Area Lowdown * All U.S. voters are equal, but some are more equal than others. The more equal ones reside in the handful of competitive states that determine who becomes president. America's current and future political map is identified in this useful book. -- Larry J. Sabato, director, University of Virginia Center for Politics and author of The Kenneday Half-Century Do you live in, say, California or Texas? Sorry, you're not likely to have many reporters asking you what you think about the 2016 presidential election. Just a handful of swing states determines who wins the White House. Here's a smart look at the landscape that controls American politics, how it's changed and where it's headed. -- Susan Page, Washington Bureau Chief, USA Today