The political science book "The Candidate: What It Takes to Win – and Hold – the White House" is written by which American scholar of elections and campaigns?

Introduction / Context:
This question concerns modern political science and the study of elections. "The Candidate: What It Takes to Win – and Hold – the White House" examines how presidential candidates in the United States campaign and govern. The question asks you to identify the author, a specialist in electoral behaviour and political strategy.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The full title is "The Candidate: What It Takes to Win – and Hold – the White House".
• The subject is U.S. presidential campaigns and leadership.
• Four well known figures in international affairs and political commentary are listed.
• Only one of them is an academic who is widely credited with this particular book.

Concept / Approach:
Samuel L. Popkin is an American political scientist known for his work on voter decision making and presidential campaigns. He wrote "The Candidate" to explain how successful candidates build coalitions, manage campaigns and then govern. Henry Kissinger, Noam Chomsky and Fareed Zakaria are important authors on foreign policy and global affairs, but they are not associated with this specific title.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Samuel L. Popkin specialises in the study of elections and the presidency. Step 2: Remember that he wrote "The Candidate" to summarise lessons from modern presidential races. Step 3: Look at the other options. Henry Kissinger writes mainly on diplomacy and international relations, Noam Chomsky on linguistics and political critique, and Fareed Zakaria on global politics and economics. Step 4: None of these three are identified as the author of this particular campaign focused book. Step 5: Therefore, select Samuel L. Popkin as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Book reviews, course syllabi and the publisher description all list Samuel L. Popkin as the author of "The Candidate: What It Takes to Win – and Hold – the White House". His previous works on voter behaviour are often mentioned alongside this title, strengthening the association. The other figures have their own different signature books, not this one.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Henry Kissinger is best known for works like "Diplomacy", which focus on foreign policy. Noam Chomsky is known for linguistic theory and political commentary, and Fareed Zakaria for books on global power shifts. While all three write about politics in a broad sense, they are not credited with authoring "The Candidate". Choosing them would conflate general political commentary with specialised campaign research.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may be tempted to pick a very famous media personality or diplomat because the title mentions the White House. However, many core texts on elections are written by less publicly famous academics. Always check whether the question seems to refer to a scholarly work; if so, the author is more likely to be a political scientist like Samuel L. Popkin than a world famous diplomat or television host.

Final Answer:
Samuel L. Popkin