The technical workings of the Electoral College are quite simple. Each state is allotted a number of electoral votes equal to the number of representatives it has in the House of Representatives plus the number of senators (two in each case). Each state determines how its electors will be chosen, with the stipulation that no elector may hold any other office of trust under the Constitution.
The electoral college system has evolved continuously since the first presidential election. Despite a number of close contests, this arrangement has selected the candidate with the most popular votes in 48 of 52 presidential elections since the current voting system was established. Three times, however, candidates were elected who won fewer popular votes than their opponents (1876, 1888, 2000). These controversial elections occurred because the system requires a majority of electoral, not popular, votes to win the presidency. This book examines the history of the electoral college, contemporary analysis and possible reform proposals.
The Encyclopedia of Social Media and Politics explores how the rise of social media is altering politics both in the United States and in key moments, movements, and places around the world. Its scope encompasses the disruptive technologies and activities that are changing basic patterns in American politics and the transformations that social media use is rendering in other political systems heretofore resistant to democratization and change.
Books are helpful when:
You need a broad overview of a topic. Example: Elections.
You need an in-depth look of a topic. Example: A biography of Barack Obama.
Books may not be as helpful when:
The topic is very recent. Books take a long time to get written and published. Example: 2016 US Elections
You have a fairly narrow topic. Example: If you are writing on the second debate between Turmp and Clinton, you may not find an entire book on that earthquake.
Ongoing studies of the American electorate. Provides data and statistics on voting, public opinion, and political participation in the U.S. from 1948 to the present.
Offers students the ability to analyze an accessible data set drawn from the 2012 National Election Study (NES) survey of the American electorate. Data sets from previous elections are also available.
A non-partisan and non-profit who's aim is to reduce confusion in American politics by checking "the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases."
"The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. The center conducts public opinion polling, demographic studies, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. It does not take positions on policy issues."
RCP Poll Average is used in Bloomberg terminals and campaign communication documents, as well as being widely cited by news organizations such asThe Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times, FOX News, CNN, USA Today, and MSNBC.
American Political Parties and Elections: a Very Short Introduction by 
The Electoral College by 
Encyclopedia of Social Media and Politics by