Results by title

A firsthand account of the remarkable rise of Minnesota’s unconventional governor.

Jesse Ventura burst into national consciousness-and late-night punch lines-when the former professional wrestler was unexpectedly elected governor of Minnesota in 1998. An overnight political sensation whose only previous relevant experience was a brief period as mayor of a Minneapolis suburb, Ventura became a lightning rod for the media, combining the bravado of a Navy SEAL, the showmanship of a movie actor, and the blunt speech and bluff humor of a talk-radio host with a surprising passion for public policy and legislative reform.

In this revealing chronicle of Jesse Ventura’s campaign, election, and time in office, political reporter Tom Hauser tells us what he saw as one of the "media jackals" covering the governor for local television station KSTP. In a saga full of drama, hi-jinks, and controversy, Hauser offers the inside story of the hubbub surrounding Ventura-from his triumphal tour of the late-night talk shows upon his election, to his outspoken and outrageous revelations in Playboy, to his stints as referee for the World Wrestling Federation and commentator for the failed XFL, to his ongoing battles with the state legislature. Hauser also provides insight into Ventura’s popularity, character, and motivations-his impatience with conventional wisdom, his distrust of traditional politics, and his combative relationship with the media. Though to many Ventura seemed to come out of nowhere, Hauser has been following him since the day he filed to run for governor, when he was the underdog in a race against two well-established career politicians, backed by major parties. Hauser offers the only detailed account available of Ventura’s amazing rise and reign, providing an evenhanded look at a political story that will leave readers feeling that truth really is stranger than fiction.

A comprehensive study of lobbying, advocacy, and political influence in the modern American South.

Interest Group Politics in the Southern States, edited by Ronald J. Hrebenar and Clive Thomas, is a pioneering examination of the organizations, lobbyists, and advocacy networks that shape public policy throughout the American South. Covering twelve Southern states, this influential volume moves beyond traditional studies of elections and race to explore the often-overlooked role of interest groups in legislative decision-making, public administration, and political power. Through detailed state-by-state analyses, the contributors investigate the structure, strategies, and influence of organizations representing business interests, agriculture, labor, education, professional associations, and citizen advocacy groups.

The book examines how lobbying tactics, regulatory environments, political cultures, and institutional structures vary across the South, revealing both common regional patterns and significant differences among individual states. By exploring states such as Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida, the volume provides a rich comparative perspective on the forces that influence policymaking at the state level.

A landmark contribution to the study of Southern politics, this collection demonstrates the pivotal and sometimes controlling role of interest groups in public affairs. It remains an essential resource for understanding the dynamics of advocacy, lobbying, governance, and political influence in one of the nation's most complex and politically significant regions.