The American Spectator

The Prince , Machiavelli conveys the problems with the ruling class and suggests a series of solutions to bring about the reunification of Italy under the Medici family of Florence. Machiavelli suggests a variety of tactics for the prince to secure his power and argues that because humans are inherently evil, the ends are able to justify the means. Machiavelli proposes that politics and religion are separate and that future rulers should be concerned with securing power, not adhering to a strict moral code. /p>

The Responsible Electorate: Rationality in Presidential Voting, 1936-1960 by V. O. Key, Jr. (1966). Through analyzing public opinion data and electoral returns, V.O. Key made the case for rationality in voters’ choice and suggested that voters choose to re-elect incumbents based on their performance in office.

All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren (1946). A work of fiction that closely mirrors the political life of Governor Huey Long of Louisiana, the novel tells the story of the rise and fall of southern governor Willie Stark. The story is narrated by Jack Burden, Stark’s political right hand, who is able to maintain his integrity while watching Stark rise to political power through dirty politics and back-room deals. In the end, Stark rises to political fame but pays a high price for his path to power.

The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay (1787 & 1788). Written during the years 1787 and 1788, the Federalist Papers eloquently argue for the ratification of the United States Constitution and explain why this new form of government was the best choice for America. Through 85 essays, Hamilton, Madison, and Jay explain how the government would function and explain the theory of democracy. While the papers were originally published in several New York newspapers to persuade New York citizens to ratify the Constitution, the papers remain perhaps the best documentation of the thinking of our Founding Fathers regarding the birth of American democracy.

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall by William L. Riordan (1905). This book provides a look into the world of big city “machine” politics from the first-person perspective. Journalist William L. Riordan published the series of interviews with George Washington Plunkitt, New York state senator and Tammany Hall ward boss.

A More Perfect Constitution by Larry J. Sabato (2007). This book will ask readers to set aside their own political loyalties, to look past the current “values” debates and hot-button issues, to consider this very real possibility: that the failure of the nation to update the Constitution and the structure of government it originally bequeathed to us is at the root of our current political dysfunction.

Larry J. Sabato is Center for Politics founder and Robert Kent Gooch Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia, and the author of over 20 books on the American political process, including Feeding Frenzy: How Attack Journalism Has Transformed American Politics. His latest book, A More Perfect Constitution: 23 Proposals to Revitalize Our Constitution and Make America a Fairer Country, is on sale now.

p> R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. br> Let me begin by saying Clarence Thomas has written what I consider the Best Book of The Year, which is not an accolade that I confer easily, as my book on Boy Clinton’s ribald life in retirement (and Hillary’s rise to presidential plausibility) is now out, The Clinton Crack-Up . Yet there you have it. My Grandfather’s Son: A Memoir