Votes of Confidence: A Young Person's Guide to American Elections - Softcover

Jeff Fleischer is a Chicago-based journalist and author, who has written for Mother Jones, the Sydney Morning Herald, National Geographic Traveler, Mental Floss, and Chicago Magazine.

"Neither the American electoral nor political process is simple. And if you think so, you’ve likely got it wrong.

Fortunately, self-described political nerd Fleischer is here to clarify things. In a particularly winning voice, abetted by numerous intriguing anecdotes and trivia, Fleischer commences at the beginning, with an origin story (Revolution, Articles of Confederation, Constitution, Bill of Rights), before moving on to mechanics. He issues an implicit challenge with his introduction—“If there’s one thing we know for sure about American government, it’s that a lot of Americans don’t know much about it”—and then goes on to make sure readers buck that trend. His discussion of the electoral college is a fine example of his compressive clarity: the college is a compromise measure to rein in populous states while avoiding the pitfalls of giving too much power to Congress and state legislatures. It has its drawbacks, but it is not as egregious as push polling (“one of the sleaziest of political dirty tricks”) or hindering voter registration. Fleischer works plenty of civics and history into this study of the revelatory power of politics—“Strom Thurmond and George Wallace demonstrated that racists were a large voting bloc”—so his closing suggestions on how readers can get involved and be heard are perfectly placed.

Even as a kid, Jeff Fleischer recalls, he was a politics nerd. Now a Chicago journalist with history books about iconic revolutionaries and instances of mass hysteria under his belt, he’s issued a timely primer on the American electoral process, Votes of Confidence. Many adults are poorly informed about the political system, he notes; only 62 percent would likely pass the US citizenship test. This book would be a perfect refresher course, then, but should also be required reading for sixteen- to eighteen-year-olds as they prepare to vote for the first time.

Fleischer covers a huge amount of information, but in such an orderly and lucid manner that it never feels overwhelming. The book starts with a quick rundown of American history from the original colonies through to the Constitution and its amendments, then moves on to discuss how the three branches of the federal government function and how laws vary between states. At every turn the author gives historical examples: the three presidents who lost the popular vote but gained the office anyway, the third parties that have been at least temporarily viable, and so on. Relevant factoids abound; for instance, Bernie Sanders “holds the record as the longest-serving independent in Congress.”

The book goes deep into the nitty-gritty of elections—voter registration, polling, campaign fundraising, volunteering opportunities, and how to find reliable, non-partisan information about candidates—yet never loses sight of the big picture. "It’s easy to be cynical" about the small role individuals play in the political process, Fleischer acknowledges, but "there’s only one solution. If more Americans become informed voters, especially young voters, they’ll be able to outnumber the uninformed ones."—Foreword Reviews

"Votes of Confidence provides the whole package, working as a one-stop source not only for the election process but also the American government as a whole. . . [A] great addition to all libraries and will appeal to teens and adults as well. In a presidential election year, this is a timely resource.”—VOYA 
 
“This book is a timely addition to educate new and prospective voters and it is not so specific to render it obsolete after the 2016 election cycle. . . [A]n excellent supplement to a civics class.”—School Library Journal

"This is certainly a timely book to be released during the election year.  And given the high amount of interest in the candidates, with their behavior garnering so much attention, what a great way to use it to advantage and not only get young readers interested in politics, but explain to them, on their level, how it works - and why it's in place to start with. “—Dew on the Kudzu

“ [Fleischer] takes on the challenge of explaining the election cycle to secondary students and deserves a 21-gun salute for his cogent and readable exposition. . . With clarity, succinctness, and a bit of ironic wit, this book is a definite first choice for high school and public libraries, for young people approaching voting age and for adults (e.g., those who can't name the three branches of federal government and the balance of powers that it provides to keep us going) to read almost everything you need to know before you vote!”—Books For Kids