Edwards Book Award
An annual prize recognizing books that make an outstanding contribution to the understanding and practice of democracy and American politics.
Edwards Book Award
The Edwards Award will be presented annually by the Rodel Institute to a book published in the prior year that promises to make an outstanding contribution to the understanding and practice of democracy and American politics. The prize is named in honor of Marvin Henry “Mickey” Edwards, who has inspired generations of American public servants and students as a Member of Congress, faculty member at Harvard, Princeton, and American University, author of multiple scholarly books on the American political process, and founding Executive Director of the Rodel Fellowship.
Created in 2005, the Rodel Fellowship is the nation’s premier leadership development program for elected leaders. Each year, the program selects 24 outstanding state and local-level leaders, balanced equally between the political parties, to come together for a series of seminars to read and discuss classic texts dealing with ethical values, democratic principles, and wise and effective leadership. The Rodel Fellowship helps America’s most promising leaders reach their full potential as public servants, deepen their commitment to democracy and the rule of law, and work together to address some of our nation’s most important domestic and international challenges.
The Edwards Book Award will be presented annually and will carry an honorarium of $10,000. The winner of the prize will be determined by a committee of seven persons comprised of four Rodel fellows, the President of the Rodel Institute, and two outside advisors appointed by the Rodel President. The prize will be announced in even numbered years at the campus of a major university, which will host a lecture to be delivered by the winner. In odd numbered years, the prize will be awarded at the Rodel Fellowship reunion, where the winner will be a featured speaker. Excerpts from the winning book will be read and discussed in relevant Rodel Institute seminar.
Nominate a Book
The Edwards Book Prize is no longer accepting nominations for the 2023 prize.
To be eligible for consideration, nominated books must:
- Be nonfiction and published in 2022;
- Promise to make an outstanding contribution to the understanding and practice of democracy and American politics;
- Not be a self-published book, a vanity press book, or a hybrid self-published book;
- Be either an originally authored book or an edited collection;
- Be originally published in English or be translated to English; and
- Be submitted by January 31, 2023 at 11:59pm ET.
Nominations will be considered on a rolling basis. A shortlist of 5 books will be released in summer of 2023, and the winner will be announced in October 2023 at the Rodel Fellowship Reunion.
Meet the Committee

John Kroger
Rodel President & Chief Executive Officer and Rodel Fellow Class of 2010

Lizzy McCourt Noonan
Director of the Rodel Fellowship and Committee Secretary


Larry Obhof
Partner, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP. and Rodel Fellow Class of 2017

Jennifer Siegel
Bruce R. Kuniholm Distinguished Professor of History and Public Policy, Duke University

Mike Signer
North America Policy Director, Airbnb; Rodel Fellow Class of 2017; and Committee Co-Chair

Miguel Solis
Chief of Staff, The Commit Partnership and Rodel Fellow Class of 2014

Ian Solomon
Dean, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, University of Virginia

Jamie Woodson
Member, University of Tennessee Board of Trustees; Rodel Fellow Class of 2009; and Committee Co-Chair
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