Not All Politics Is Local

Political scientists have long relied on quantitative studies and model-driven analyses of the electorate to describe the politics of local government. These studies are valuable for understanding the overall picture of a political district, but they fall short of understanding the culture and people of that district. In Not All Politics is Local: Reflections of a Former County Chairman, William D. Angel Jr. details the party fight that led to Angel's ascent to chairmanship and describes the long period of turmoil, counterplotting, and dissension that followed. Angel offers fascinating insight into the people who made up the party at this time: Charlie Hauenstein, the tough chairman whom Angel and his pals toppled from power; Rochelle Twining, the feminist candidate for state representative; John Hevener, a history professor who masterminded Hauenstein's overthrow; and an assortment of hardworking, if sometimes vexing, activists. But more than just portraying the internal dynamics of a political party, Not All Politics Is Local affords the reader an insight into political life and the contributions to society made by local parties. For Angel, political parties do more than register voters and win elections: they engage the public in dialogue and challenge citizens to take responsibility for their government.