As the upcoming elections dominate current political discourse, three new books examine the long-term political landscape in the United States and ask whether a suspected shift after the midterm elections will present a substantial change or just a blip in an era of Republican dominance akin to the Democratic control of most of the twentieth century.

In One Party Country: The Republican Plan for Dominance in the 21st Century (Wiley, 2006), Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten discuss the notion that the Republicans may have laid the necessary groundwork for long-term control. In Building Red America: The New Conservative Coalition and the Drive for Permanent Power (Basic Books, 2006), Thomas Edsall makes a comparable case and argues that the Democrats have only themselves to blame. By examining the growth of the suburb chain Applebee’s, the evangelical churches, and the internet in Applebee’s America: How Successful Political, Business, and Religious Leaders Connect with the New American Community (Simon and Schuster, 2006), Doug Sosnik explains how politics today has been affected by these changes, and how politicians, business leaders, and religious leaders must adapt in order to succeed.

At this AEI event, the authors of these books will discuss the upcoming elections, their books, and their views of America’s political future.