The 5 Best Political Books to Read Before the 2020 Election

As we approach the 4th quarter of the most divisive year in recent history, the 2020 presidential election draws near, bringing with it yet another wave of anxiety and tension. With a great deal of well written and informative political books available it can sometimes be hard to know where to start, what I decided to focus on for this article was newly published books that are relevant to whats going on in American politics right now. This list contains some of the best political books written in 2020 and is a great starting point for readers who want to dive straight into the issues pertaining to our current political climate and become more informed voters.

Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth

Written by Brian Stelter, political commentator and chief media correspondent for CNN, Hoax highlights the untold story of collusion between Fox New and Donald Trump. In particular Stelter notes that President Trump is known to watch more than six hours of Fox News a day, something his staff refers to as "executive time." The story mainly revolves around Sean Hannity, a college dropout making $30 million a year, who became the predominant figure at Fox News following the death of Roger Ailes. Stelter details the inner workings of Rupert Murdoch's multibillion-dollar media empire and details the tensions between Trump loyalists and the few remaining journalists at the network. Hoax is an essential read for anyone who's ever turned on Fox News and wondered, "How is this actually allowed to be called news?"

The Violence Inside Us: A Brief History of an Ongoing American Tragedy

The Violence Inside Us is written by Chris Murphy, democratic Senator from Connecticut who's been in office since 2013. In this book Murphy sets out to answer question, "Is America destined to always be a violent nation?" The Violence Inside Us explores the origins of the country's violent impulses, America's complete obsession with firearms and what's preventing us from confronting this national crisis. Murphy dissects the role that firearms obsession has played in the United States' violence filled history and why we no longer feel safe in churches, schools, movie theaters and workplaces. This book offers up a less polarized conversation about violence and the weapons that enable it. Regardless of your feelings on the 2nd amendment, this is an essential read that will hopefully begin to change the national dialogue and save lives.

Say It Louder!: Black Voters, White Narratives, and Saving Our Democracy

Written by Tiffany Cross, a 2020 Resident Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics and an on-air political analyst, having previously served as the D.C. Bureau Chief for BET Networks and an Associate Producer for CNN. Say It Louder! provides a snapshot of American Democracy and the role that African Americans have played in shaping it. Cross offers up definitive information to aid in harnessing the electoral power of America's rising majority while simultaneously exposing the political forces that have been instrumental in suppressing black voters. In particular she highlights how critical black voters were to the Democrats' success in 2018 and the fact that 90% of black voters tend to support Democratic candidates as opposed to the 53% of support the party garners from all voters. This book is essential reading for anyone who believes that black lives matters and wants to know what they can do to make a difference.

The Lie That Binds

Written by Ilyse Hogue, an American progressive activist, who served as president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, a reproductive rights lobbying and advocacy organization, with contributions by Research Director Ellie Langford. The Lie That Binds discusses the fact that even though public support for the legal right to abortion is at an all-time high in the United States, we're in the midsts of an assault on reproductive freedoms as Roe v. Wade hangs in the balance. Hogue offers an in depth analysis of the conservative political machinery that was designed to impede social progress and how abortion was targeted by conservatives as a rallying cry as their other prejudices became less favorable in the public eye. The Lie That Binds is essential reading for learning about how the anti-choice movement started and how we can fight back.

The Politics Industry: How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy

The Politics Industry is the by far the best political book written in 2020, if you read one thing on this list this should be it. Written by Katherine M. Gehl, founder of the Institute for Political Innovation and Michael E. Porter, Harvard Business School professor most famously known for the development of Porter's Five Forces Analysis, a method used for analyzing the competition of a business. In The Politics Industry Gehl and Porter expose the truth that the American politics system is not broken, it's functioning exactly the way it was designed to and unfortunately it is not designed or optimized to work in favor of the ordinary citizen. Through the use of the Five Forces framework Gehl and Porter demonstrate how this textbook duopoly has become a private industry that has virtually eliminated all outside competition. They also offer up some solutions as to how to change this and inject real competition into politics again with things like nonpartisan top five primaries and ranked choice voting. The Politics Industry is a nonpartisan guide that meticulously illustrates the challenges of the current American political system and changes we can make to reshape the system so it benefits everyone.