How Do We Elect Our Leaders? (My American Government) [Paperback]

William David Thomas (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3–5—These books have an accessible format and clear writing. Each one begins with a story to help personalize the information, such as one about presidential candidate Reagan visiting a coffee shop (in Leaders) or another about a student who is unfairly treated (in Basic Rights). Charts ("How a Bill Becomes a Law" in Parts of Government; "Three Branches of Government" in Constitution) aid understanding. Relevant issues such as the disputed 2000 election are highlighted in text boxes. Differences in federal versus state and local governments are noted, and unusual issues such as Native American governments within states and the voting provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act are mentioned. Black-and-white and full-color vintage and more recent photographs appear throughout. For a younger audience than the "Library of American Government" series (World Almanac Library), this set will be helpful to libraries looking to update their voting and government offerings before the 2008 election.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

From Booklist

The My American Government series gets off to a strong start with a slim but informative book that introduces the election process. Beginning with an amusing anecdote about Ronald Reagan’s run for the presidency, the book then goes on to discuss, in short, simple bites, the political parties, how primaries and caucuses work, conventions, and the electoral college. Readers will also find information about how members of Congress are elected and about state elections. Printed on shiny paper, the pictures, though at times generic, show up nicely. Particularly well integrated and interesting are the sidebars, which include everything from how the donkey and elephant became the party symbols to the importance of voting (with examples of narrow elections) to the news that Australians are required by law to vote. A short list of books and Web sites rounds out the package. Grades 3-5. --Ilene Cooper --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Gareth Stevens Publishing (January 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0836888650
• ISBN-13: 978-0836888652
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,685,580 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an excellent introduction to the American electorial system!, July 4, 2009

By 

D. Fowler "Dragonfly77" (Vermont) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How Do We Elect Our Leaders? (My American Government) (Library Binding)

In Australia 95% of the people cast their votes in elections. In 2000 only half of Americans even bothered going to the polls. It's not that Australians are more enthusiastic about electing their officials, but rather they are required by law to do so. Voting is a privilege that we have and should use. Every four years we elect a president and this book is a very useful tool in understanding the process in which we elect our leaders. We have two major political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, but there are several other minor parties as well.

There are many people who would like to be president, but political parties need to know who to support so early on there are primary elections that "begin very early in an election year." Some states have elected to hold caucuses to throw their support behind a candidate. In this book you'll learn about conventions, how candidates campaign, term limits, the popular vote, when the elections are held, the electoral college, inauguration day, "inauguration firsts," the close election of 2000, requirements needed to become an elected official, how stated officials are elected and the importance of voting.

I liked the set up of this book very much. The book was packed with information and had a nice flow to it. The numerous sidebar materials had a lot of very interesting facts. They were placed at appropriate intervals and don't drive the reader crazy trying to go back and forth trying to read them and follow the text at the same time. In the back of the book is a glossary (words used in the text were highlighted in bold) an excellent index and additional recommended book and web site resources. Did you know that "women in Wyoming got the right to vote in 1869?" This is one of many interesting facts you'll find in this book!