This volume chronicles almost two decades of American elections marked by a politics of disappointment. Combining political science, history and literature, it addresses the varied electoral trends: distrust of government; yearning for a renewal of the American dream; decreasing voter turnout; desire for self-government; and debate over the future shape of political conflict. New chapters in this edition include the latest research on national elections with up-to-date analyses of the 1996 and 1998 elections and an evaluation of the impeachment.