Through pandemic, protests, and polarization, Americans went to the polls in 2020, one of the most contentious elections in American history. Continuing an R&L tradition now entering its fourth decade, Divided We Stand book provides the most comprehensive and authoritative account of the national election, as well as congressional and state elections. From the nominating process to the insurrection designed to stop the ratification of the electoral college vote, Andrew E. Busch and John J. Pitney Jr. revisit the campaigns and results through the short lens of politics today and the long lens of American political history. With its keen insights into the issues and events that drove the 2020 elections, Divided We Stand: The 2020 Elections and American Politics will be an invaluable resource for students and all political observers seeking to understand a historic election that will continue to resonate throughout American politics for many years to come.
Andrew E. Busch is professor of government at Claremont McKenna College. John J. Pitney Jr. is professor of government at Claremont McKenna College.
PrefaceChapter 1: Disruptor, Disrupted: The Trump PresidencyChapter 2: The Epic Journey of Joseph Robinette Biden: The Democratic NominationChapter 3: Disease, Disorder, Downturn: The InterregnumChapter 4: Blue Over Red: The General ElectionChapter 5: The Imperfect Tie: The Congressional and State ElectionsChapter 6: A Republic, If You Can Keep It: Election Aftermath and the Future Index
Divided We Stand is a marvel. I didn't think it was possible to stand above the fray and write a dispassionate, fair minded treatment of the elections, but Busch and Pitney have done it. They show a remarkable ability to present a comprehensive, shrewd, well written account of these troubled elections without descending into partisan rancor. It should be a staple of any course that deals with contemporary American politics.