The Next Generation: Young Elected Officials and Their Impact on American Politics

There are a growing number of university programs and courses that focus on civic engagement, political participation, and local and state politics. The book will fill a gap in the literature and support such courses.

John Celock is an award-winning journalist who researches and reports extensively on American politics and government. He is the Editor of Westfield Patch, an online daily newspaper and information site in New Jersey. Celock also moderates panel discussions regularly, including panels at Rutgers University's Eagleton Institute, Columbia University Club of New York, SUNY, and Niagara University where he was a guest lecturer.

Preface
1.    Family Ties, Career Goals, September 11 and More: What Motivates a Young Person to Run for Elective Office?
2.    From Bringing Baseball to Los Angeles to Taking Pictures with Voters: How Young Elected Officials are Thinking Outside the Box
3.    "I look like I'm 12.": The reaction to Young Elected Officials
4.    The President in Waiting? The Ambitions of Young Elected Officials
5.    "I got asked constantly what my husband thought." The Challenges Faced by Young Women in Elective Office.
6.    From Dating to Parenting: The Impact of Politics on the Personal Lives of Young Elected Officials
7.    Oregon's History of Young Elected Officials
8.    "I need to prove that I was not elected by my frat buddies." North Dakota's 42nd Legislative District
9.    The Jersey Collision that Won't Happen: The Story of Steven Fulop and Peter Cammarano
10.    Does the Mayor Have to Listen When the Principal Calls Him to the Office? Young Mayors in America
11.    Conclusion
Appendix: Young Elected Officials

John Celock combines the story-telling abilities of a journalist with the systematic approach of a political scientist to produce an engaging and richly textured book of unusual depth and quality.  Celock takes us with him as he crisscrosses the nation conducting extensive interviews aimed at understanding the political trajectories of young elected officials.  His approach to the subject is simultaneously entertaining and systematic while relating the rich political context that surrounds each of the remarkable individuals he profiles.  The Next Generation convincingly makes the argument that "next generation" politicians are bringing fresh ideas to our local, state and national politics and changing the political landscape. The Next Generation is ideal for undergraduate courses on state and local politics or the electoral process.  Students reading the book will be impressed with the many examples of how ordinary Americans, many just about their age, are taking chances and making a difference in their communities and the nation.  Celock's conversational writing style will appeal to students and general readers alike. The Next Generation is also highly recommended for general readers who are interested in politics and elections. - Sean Q. Kelly - Professor of Political Science, California State University Channel Islands
"Sometimes it takes youth to write about youth, and that is obviously true in this new work by political journalist, John Celock. "The Next Generation" tells the remarkable stories of numerous politicians in their teens, twenties and early thirties, as they transform their idealism into effective political leadership. A welcome addition in a field that has treated young politicians as anomalies rather than a larger field of political leaders than we once may have realized." - Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, CM, President, DePaul University
Author John Celock was a guest on CSPAN-TV's Washington Journal on Sunday, 3 July. It is a live show with viewer call in aired nationally.