In “Boilerplate,” Buckley makes full use of his journalistic experience and thorough knowledge of American political cuisine. His characters include the director of a successful PR agency, a computer tycoon, a high-ranking Catholic figure, and even the President of the United States—a “sinner and old foul-mouthed bastard,” as he calls himself. And at the center of the story is young Cassandra, whose unconventional plan for solving the country’s financial problems becomes the core of a dizzying pre-election intrigue.