Politicians Don't Pander is one of those valuable books that force us to confront our compartmentalized thinking about politics. Lawrence R. Jacobs and Robert Y. Shapiro, two prominent political scientists, point out that Americans simultaneously hold two contradictory beliefs, each with firm conviction. One is that the growing influence of public-opinion polls has increased political pandering--politicians abdicating true leadership in favor of slavishly following polls. The conflicting belief is that the pernicious combination of money and partisanship causes officeholders to ignore the wishes of the public in favor of pursuing their own agendas and those of special interests.