Presidential politics- the struggle for the presidency and the privilege of determining national policies- has been the biggest business in the United States since the formation of the national government under the Constitution. It has also been the most decisive, because almost all important questions in our democratic society are finally solved in the political arena, with the President playing a large role in their resolution. However, some presidential elections have surely been more crucial than others. For example, the election of 1796 merely assured the continuation of Federalist policies, while the election of 1800 resulted in the first peaceful transfer of power from one party to another and marked the beginning of an entirely new type of national politics. The election of 1836 resulted in the institutionalization and professionalization of American politics and the emergence of a definite two-party system, which would hereafter characterize the political structure and history of the United States. The election of 1860 led to the secession of the southern states and a long, bloody civil war. The election of 1896 marked the beginning of urban-orientated presidential politics. And in 1936, the voters gave emphatic approval to the New Deal and continuation of Roosevelt's policies, while establishing the Democrats as the majority party for decades to come. This book provides a remarkable overview of American national politics from the early days of the republic to the 1930s.