What We Are Reading Today: Identity Crisis

Authors: John Sides, Michael Tesler & Lynn Vavreck

Donald Trump’s election victory stunned the world. How did he pull it off? Was it his appeal to alienated voters in the battleground states? Was it Hillary Clinton and the scandals associated with her long career in politics? Were key factors already in place before the nominees were even chosen?
Identity Crisis provides a gripping account of the campaign that appeared to break all the political rules — but in fact didn’t, says a review on the Princeton University Press website. Identity Crisis takes readers from the bruising primaries to an election night the outcome of which defied the predictions of the pollsters and pundits. The book shows how fundamental characteristics of the nation and its politics —the state of the economy, the Obama presidency, and the demographics of the political parties — combined with the candidates’ personalities and rhetoric to produce one of the most unexpected presidencies in history.