A Return to Normalcy?: The 2020 Election that (Almost) Broke America

Up close, Inauguration Day 2021 looked like any other—the chief justice of the US Supreme Court administering the oath of office to the new president on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. But pull the lens back and this was anything but a typical election and transition of power. In A Return to Normalcy?, Larry Sabato, Kyle Kondik, and J. Miles Coleman bring together respected journalists, analysts, and scholars to examine every facet of the stunning 2020 election and its aftermath, and how these events will impact American politics moving forward. In frank, accessible prose, each author offers insight that goes beyond the headlines and dives into the underlying forces and shifts that drove the election from its earliest developments to its chaotic conclusion. A Return to Normalcy? is an indispensable read for political junkies and all students of American politics.

ISBN-13: 9781538148525

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers - Inc.

Publication Date: 03-12-2021

Pages: 266

Product Dimensions: 6.03(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.59(d)

Age Range: 18 Years

Larry J. Sabato is the Robert Kent Gooch Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia and director of its Center for Politics. He is the author or editor of more than twenty books on American politics and elections.Kyle Kondik is the managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, the Center’s nonpartisan newsletter on American campaigns and elections.J. Miles Coleman is associate editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, the University of Virginia Center for Politics’ nonpartisan newsletter on American campaigns and elections.

Table of Contents

Preface/Acknowledgments About the Authors Chapter 1: Larry J. Sabato: A Return to Normalcy? Taking Stock at the End of the Trump Presidency  Chapter 2: Rhodes Cook: The Off-Kilter Presidential Primaries of 2020 Chapter 3: David Byler: Was Joe Biden’s Primary Win Inevitable Or Accidental?  Chapter 4: Alan Abramowitz: The Politics of Good Versus Evil in a Polarized America Chapter 5: J. Miles Coleman: A Political Road Trip Across the Country: Presidential Trends in Some Swingy, And Not-So Swingy, States Chapter 6: Kyle Kondik: The House: A Blue Wave Reduced to a Blue Trickle Chapter 7: Madelaine Pisani: The Senate: How Democrats Found the Most Difficult Path to a Majority Chapter 8: Mary Frances McGowan: Governors and State Legislatures: Republicans Retain Strength as Redistricting Looms Chapter 9: Theodore R. Johnson: Parties, Presidents, and the Black Electorate’s Gender Gap  Chapter 10: Diana Owen: Media Coverage of the 2020 Election: Journalists and Influencers in the Misinformation Age Chapter 11: Grace Panetta: Defending Democracy During a Pandemic Chapter 12: Michael Toner/Karen Trainer: The $14 Billion Election: Emerging Campaign Finance Trends and Their Impact on the 2020 Presidential Race and Beyond Chapter 13: Sean Trende: Was Trump Worth It for Republicans? Show More