Rick Shenkman is an associate professor of history at George Mason University, and the editor and founder of George Mason University's History News Network. He is the author of six books, including, most recently, Basic'sJust How Stupid Are We? Facing the Truth About the American Voter, as well as theNew York Times bestselling Legends, Lies, and Cherished Myths of American History. Shenkman is the vice president of Vote iQ, a social networking site built expressly for politics. Educated at Vassar and Harvard, he is also an Emmy award-winning investigative reporter and the former managing editor of KIRO-TV, the CBS affiliate in Seattle.