If voters are to make intelligent judgments, they need information about the qualities of the candidates, the policies they propose, and the partisan labels they wear. Does our presidential electoral system encourage the most qualified candidates to run? Does it force them to discuss the most important issues, present feasible policy solutions, and talk candidly with the American people? Will the election results accurately reflect the opinions, interests, and needs of the population as a whole? This book addresses these questions, providing you with an informative guide to elections and democracy--using case studies, tables, and figures to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of U.S. presidential elections. You’ll also get insights on recent changes that have revolutionized electoral politics--from the flood of money to and from Super PACs to instantaneous communications to microtargeting of messaging.