It’s political convention time! Ever wonder what our founding fathers intended? The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, examines constitutional law and the constitutional history of our country. Alexander De Tocqueville’s Democracy in America analyzes both the U.S. democratic process and social equality, and is standard reading for political pundits. For those interested in economics, consider reading The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith, a masterful analysis, of and champion for, a market economy and free trade.
Political conventions can be raucous occasions – Miami and the Siege of Chicago: An Informal History of the Republican and Democratic Conventions of 1968 by Norman Mailer, describes the relative ease of the Republic convention and the explosive chaos which erupted during the Democratic convention held in Chicago. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, by Doris Kearns Goodwin, depicts the post 1860 election and the cabinet that Lincoln created with his former rivals for the presidential nomination.
Lastly, for a look at life on the campaign trail, try Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘72 , or for a little humor, Charles Osgood’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the White House: Humor, Blunders, and other Oddities.
The Democratic National Convention will be held July 25-28 in Philadelphia, PA. The Republican National 
Convention will be held July 18-21 in Cleveland, OH.
