Divider, Not a Uniter: George W. Bush and the American People, A, (Great Questions in Politics Series)

Written by one of the most respected scholars and writers in political science, this is brief, engaging book that is rich in data and analyzes the reasons why the public is so divided along party lines about George W. Bush.

I.  Introduction

II.  Primed for Partisanship

            Sources of Partisan Polarization; Partisan Polarization in Congress; Polarization and Electoral Change; Is Polarization Confined to Activists?; Religion and Partisanship; Economic Inequality and the Ideological Fragmentation of the Mass Media; Conclusion

III.  To the White House Through Florida

            One of Us; The Campaigns; The Vote; Florida; Conclusion

IV.  The First Two Years:  Before and After 9/11

            The Bush Agenda; Tactics; After September 1; The 2002 Election; God’s Instrument

V..  Going to War in Iraq

        The Case for War; Saddam and 9/11; The Public’s Response; Bringing Congress on Board; Popular Support for a Discretionary War

VI.  Illusion, Disillusion, and Faith in the President after “Mission Accomplished”

            Revising the Case for War; The Iraq Rally; The Widening Partisan Divide on Iraq; Belief in the War’s Premises; The President’s Credibility; The Religious Factor; Multivariate Analyses; Conclusion

VII.  The 2004 Elections:  Mobilized Bases, Reinforced Divisions

            The Democratic Nomination; An Avalanche of Money; The War in the Campaigns; Opinion Leadership; Rational Ignorance?;          Mobilizing Voters; The Vote; The Congress; Aftermath

VIII.     President of Half the People

            A Mandate?; The Campaign to Revamp Social Security; Why the Campaign Failed; The Bipartisan Consensus; Other Issues; The Terri Schiavo Case; The Iraq War, Again; Unwavering Christian Conservatives; Conclusion

IX.   Conclusions and Speculations

            Does Bush Care?; Competing Realities; The News Media; Hurricane Katrina; After Bush