In The Perfect Tie: The True Story of the 2000 Presidential Election, James W. Ceaser and Andrew E. Busch continue their study of national elections and their broader implications for American politics and society. With groundbreaking research of electoral politics and penetrating discussions of divided government, independent candidates, party platforms, realignment theory, the electoral college, and campaign strategies, Ceaser and Busch attempt to make sense of the 2000 presidential election. By separating myth from fact in presidential contests and by emphasizing the significance of frequently overlooked issues, such as foreign policy, this book is essential reading for courses in American Government, Campaigns and Elections, and Presidential Politics, as well as for any American interested in the real and lasting importance of the 2000 elections.

"After pop analysis and pundit pontifications, journalistic rehashing and insider stories, we now have the first, and very first-rate, effort by scholars to study seriously the 2000 presidential election. Ceaser and Busch do an excellent job of placing the 2000 election into a broader context of elections and politics in the United States over time." - Library Journal

"An intelligent and lively analysis of the lengthy pre-election campaign, to the confluence of several extraordinary events." - Times Literary Supplement

"The Perfect Tie is well-written and engaging and the authors have fun with terms and events. This is a serious and important book." - Perspectives on Political Science

"A book rich in analysis and detail, well-written." - Political Science Quarterly

"[A] detailed, scholarly and timely account of the highly controversial election. . . . Informative, interesting, and accessible." - Political Studies Review