Votes of Confidence, 2nd Edition: A Young Person's Guide to American Elections

by Jeff Fleischer

Every two years, media coverage of American elections turns into a horse-race story about who's leading the polls and who said what when.

Give young adult readers clear explanations about how our election process actually works, why it matters, and how they can become involved. Using real-world examples and anecdotes, this book provides readers with thorough, nonpartisan explanations about primaries, the electoral college, checks and balances, polls, fundraising, and more. Updated with facts, figures, and analysis, this edition provides the next generation of voters with essential guidance about the past, present, and future of American elections.

"[A] very readable, engaging, and entertaining history of American elections and politics for young people. Highly recommended."—starred, Booklist

"Fleischer presents a potentially didactic subject matter in a digestible and organized manner. Recommended for middle to high school students, educators, and others interested in becoming civically informed and engaged."—School Library Journal

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Middle Grade

246 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 3, 2020

About the author

Jeff Fleischer is a non-fiction author, journalist, and short-fiction writer. Originally from Chicago, he has also worked in San Francisco, Australia and New Zealand, and his work has appeared in publications including the Sydney Morning Herald, Mother Jones, Chicago Magazine, Mental_Floss, and dozens of other print and online publications. He has a degree in journalism and history from Indiana University and a master's in journalism from Medill at Northwestern University.

Reviews

[Randal White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be required reading in High School social studies classes. And for adults!
Easy to read, easily understood, well written and engaging.
Describes and explains the in's and out's of how we conduct elections in the U.S.
Especially in today's ultra-partisan state, it is important that we all know how things (should) work. With the knowledge you can gain from this book, maybe it would help to deal with the fear and loathing people have for each other.
Highly recommend!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written for teens and young adults but I would recommend for anyone that is looking for answers about the how and why of our political system in the United States of America. Fleischer does a nice job of being sarcastic and relevant, without talking down to the audience. The ideas are at times clearly left leaning and a highly conservative person would probably have issue with tone some of the time, but overall it is a well done book that helps to inform the electorate of their rights, privileges, and responsibilities!

[Winnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was super engaging and a great read! I recommend this for anyone interested in politics or government. It was a clear cut and easily explained guide to American elections and government.

[Lassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Obvious liberal bias--disappointing.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's for young people but honestly, most Americans should read it.

[Gemini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well if there was ever a book to read in school, this is it. There is so much information here that you really need to wrap your head around the lovely voting system that involved everything from gerrymandering to redistricting to the census. There are so many things the author goes through in this book that make you think. I may not be a young person & I certainly learned something. This book is really for all ages to better understand our voting system. It's broken down in a way that isn't boring or complicated. Just straight up knowledge about how the system we use came to be.
What most people don't realize is how things are all intertwined. Like one doesn't exist w/out the other. Which isn't necessarily a good thing either. You can thank the electoral college for the fact that the popular vote doesn't get your president elected. Sound ridiculous? It is. 100%. It makes you want to scream, right? The issue is the lack of people who are eligible to vote who actually do, why? Every year they make it harder & harder by closing polling locations or requiring ID's to vote. Democracy at its best. Things need to change n so many levels & this book gives you basically all you to know to understand how it all works & how you can take part in your civic duty. Pass it on. To everyone.

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about a timely book release as this title is published right in the middle of a Presidential election year.  Votes of Confidence is a thorough guide to the election process.  It is written to give students in high school a sense of what the election process and their government are about.  It could also be a great resource for adults who need a refresher for themselves or so that they can talk with the children in their lives about the United States democracy.


There are chapters on American government, how voting works, political parties and ways to get involved in the political system.   There is also an important chapter titled Voting with Confidence.


The book is factual but I do note that the author has a point of view.  Clearly noted in the introduction are Trump's use of false information and conspiracy theories, along with mention of Russian interference in the election process. 


This book looks like a valuable resource.  It is jam packed with information and much food for thought. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This updated version of Votes of Confidence by Jeff Fleischer is a must-read for young and old. In this non-partisan look at the history of the United States government and the roles that we as citizens can play within it, there is so much to learn or refresh one's knowledge. This newest edition is current as of 2023, but with politics moving so quickly, it doesn't have the additional update of Kevin McCarthy being ousted as Speaker of the House. That should not deter one from adding this to the collection. Votes of Confidence brings a sound voice to the echo chambers of "fake news" and explains how we got where we are, and what young voters can do to stay informed and make positive change.

I highly recommend this book for schools and libraries.

[Julia (semi-ia, school) · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I’m not one for informational books, as they usually don’t hold my attention.. which this book didn’t. To be fair, it did have a lot of useful information (keeping in mind it was written several years ago). However, I had trouble processing what information was being given - which may just be a me problem. As a result, I kept spacing out and had to bring myself to earth. I found the state slander (even against my own state) quite humorous, and the author attempted to make the book somewhat entertaining. For me, this book wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t the best informational book I’ve read.

[Kaylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking to learn the basics of voting in the United States of America this is your book! After reading this I definitely have a better understanding of the history of our voting system/ 2 political party system, and how it works. This book also has a LOT of resources listed in the back to help you further your education about voting, and how/ where to find information on the politicians who are in power.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally finished this! Very informative and helpful. I fear that some of this information may no longer be true or the same due to our current administration and that’s heartbreaking. I read this because I wanted to be more informed on how our government is supposed to work.

[Sarah left GR]

Possible gift idea for elder niblings?

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource!

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clear and interesting guide to help new voters understand their role as citizens in the United States.

[Roland Curit · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is subtitled, "A Young Person's Guide to American Elections". This caught my eye at the bookstore, and I concluded that I would more likely enjoy reading about politics if it were written for an audience with a smaller attention span that my own. I was right. The first couple chapters are a lesson in civics, and I found this far more fascinating than I did 40 years ago. The remainder of the book gives the young reader ideas on how to get involved in politics via volunteering, activism, fundraising, or running for a local office. Here are a few tidbits I learned along the way. The House of Representatives has grown over the years from 65 to the present day 435. But a law was passed in 1911 to cap that number at 435. Now as the population changes, states will add or lose seats in the House. I had always wondered where they would put the extra desks if it just kept growing! Nancy Pelosi is the Speaker of the House, but she is not the House Majority Leader. That role belongs to Steny Hoyer. The Republican congress in Obama's first term filibustered so many presidential appointees that the Senate had to do away with the filibuster for all presidential appointees, expect for the Supreme Court. Then in 2017, the Senate removed the filibuster for the Supreme Court as well. The use of Red and Blue to indicate Republican and Democrat states used to alternate every presidential cycle. It was only after the 2000 election between Gore and Bush that the colors permanently stuck with the parties. George Washington's Vice President was John Adams. His Secretary of State was Thomas Jefferson, and his Secretary of Treasury was Alexander Hamilton. That's quite the starting lineup. John Adams, our 2nd president, had Thomas Jefferson as his Vice president, not because he chose him, but because Jefferson finished 2nd in the presidential race. That's how Vice Presidents were initially determined. The 12th amendment changed that process. Lastly, a quote from the book. "Two of the biggest obstacles to a better government are ignorance and apathy." One third of eligible US voters did not vote in 2020. That's apathy. Many of those who did vote, got their information primarily from social media. That's ignorance.