Keys to the White House - by Allan Lichtman (Paperback)

About the Book

Prominent political analyst and historian, Allan J. Lichtman, presents thirteen historical factors, or 'keys, ' that have successfully predicted the outcome of presidential elections from 1860 to 2004

Book Synopsis

Prominent political analyst and historian, Allan J. Lichtman, presents thirteen historical factors, or 'keys, ' that have successfully predicted the outcome of presidential elections from 1860 to 2004.

Review Quotes

Of the hundreds of books written about presidential elections, one of the best is Allan J. Lichtman's The Keys to the White House.

For generations, politicians, pundits, and poll-takers have been seeking their version of the Holy Grail-a surefire, guaranteed way to predict presidential elections well ahead of time. It may have been found in this book.

Allan Lichtman's Keys to the White House serves as an important reminder to all of us, professional political analysts and interested citizens and observers alike, that fundamentals matter. Presidential elections are not personality contests or astrological events. Rational forces drive presidential election outcomes and nobody does a better job of making that case than Lichtman does. If you want to have the best chance of figuring out which side will win in November 2008, there is no better book to read.

Do me a favor. Don't read this book. Because if you do, it could put all of us pundits and political consultants out of business. Allan Lichtman has some nerve, revealing our trade secrets to the great unwashed public. Including the biggest secret of all, which is that the presidential vote is simple, rational, and highly predictable.

Overall, the 2008 edition that applies the keys to the 2008 presidential election is a useful update that will interest readers broadly.

About the Author

Allan J. Lichtman is professor of American history at American University.