A Return to Normalcy?: The 2020 Election that (Almost) Broke America

Up close, Inauguration Day 2021 looked like any other―the chief justice of the US Supreme Court administering the oath of office to the new president on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. But pull the lens back and this was anything but a typical election and transition of power. In A Return to Normalcy?, Larry Sabato, Kyle Kondik, and J. Miles Coleman bring together respected journalists, analysts, and scholars to examine every facet of the stunning 2020 election and its aftermath, and how these events will impact American politics moving forward. In frank, accessible prose, each author offers insight that goes beyond the headlines and dives into the underlying forces and shifts that drove the election from its earliest developments to its chaotic conclusion. A Return to Normalcy? is an indispensable read for political junkies and all students of American politics.

Sean Trende is the senior elections analyst for RealClearPolitics.com and has one of the top track records in the industry for correctly predicting the outcome of elections. He is the author of The Lost Majority. His work is regularly cited by commentators on both sides of the political spectrum, including Rush Limbaugh, David Brooks, Michael Barone, and Nate Silver. He is a regular guest on Fox News and makes regular radio appearances on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” CNN Radio, and FoxNews Radio. He lives in Midlothian, Virginia.

Larry J. Sabato is a New York Times best–selling author, four-time Emmy winner, and one of the nation's most respected political analysts. A frequent guest on major networks such as CNN, BBC, and CNN International, he provides sharp, insightful commentary on American politics. A Rhodes Scholar, Sabato is the founder and director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, and has held visiting appointments at Oxford and Cambridge universities. Over his distinguished career, he has taught over 20,000 students in his career, earning the Thomas Jefferson Award, the University of Virginia's highest honor. In 2021 he celebrated his 50th year of association with the University of Virginia. Sabato has authored or edited more than two dozen books on American politics.

Kyle Kondik is the managing editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball, the Center's nonpartisan newsletter on American campaigns and elections.

J. Miles Coleman is associate editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball, the University of Virginia Center for Politics' nonpartisan newsletter on American campaigns and elections.