Presidential Elections: Strategies and Structures of American Politics / Edition 14

by Nelson W. Polsby, Aaron Wildavsky, Steven E. Schier, David A. Hopkins

Overview

A classic, and a bestseller for 30 years, Presidential Elections,10th Edition, is thoroughly updated to reflect our current system of choosing a president. Published in time for the 2000 elections, Polsby and Wildavsky give an insiders view of the complexity and intensity of the selection process. In particular, the authors discuss the choices politicians make in light of the changing political environment — the professionalization of campaigns, political parties, primary elections, and national conventions — and recent voter behavior dynamics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442253674
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	08/15/2015
Edition description:	Fourteenth Edition
Pages:	360
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Steven E. Schier is Dorothy H. and Edward C. Congdon Professor of Political Science Emeritus at Carleton College. He is the author or editor of 23 books including The Trump Effect: Disruption and Its Consequences in US Politics and Government and Polarized: The Rise of Ideology in American Politics, both with R&L. David A. Hopkins is associate professor of political science at Boston College. He is the author of Red Fighting Blue: How Geography and Electoral Rules Polarize American Politics (Cambridge University Press), and Asymmetric Politics: Ideological Republicans and Group Interest Democrats (Oxford University Press). His political analysis has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Vox, and he is a contributing columnist at Bloomberg Opinion. Nelson W. Polsby was Heller Professor of Political Science and past Director of the Institute of Governmental Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where he taught American politics for forty years. Aaron Wildavsky was Class of 1940 Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and founding dean of Berkeley's Graduate (now Goldman) School of Public Policy.

Table of Contents

List of Figures, Tables, and Boxes Preface PART I. THE STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT 1. VOTERS Why People Don’t Vote Why People Do Vote: A Theory of Social Connectedness Party Identification as Social Identity Parties as Aggregates of Loyal Voters Ideologies, Issues, and National Conditions in the Minds of Voters Changes in Party Identification: Social Habit versus Contemporary Evaluation A Central Strategic Problem: The Attentiveness of Voters 2. GROUPS The Presidential Vote as an Aggregation of Interest Groups Variations among Interest Groups “Special” Interests, Campaign Spending, and Public Interest Groups Political Parties as Organizations Third Parties 3. RULES AND RESOURCES Rules: The Electoral College Thinking About Resources Resources: Money Resources: Control over Information Incumbency as a Resource: The Presidency Incumbency as a Liability: The Vice Presidency The Balance of Resources PART II. SEQUENCES 4. THE NOMINATION PROCESS Before the Voting Begins: The “Invisible Primary” The Early States What Do These Historical Vignettes Teach? Super Tuesday and Later Primaries State and Territorial Caucuses Delegate Allocation Superdelegates An Ever-Changing Nomination Process The National Party Conventions The Convention as Advertising The Vice Presidential Nominee The Future of National Conventions 5. THE CAMPAIGN The Well-Traveled Candidates Persuading Voters Winning the Media Game Campaign Professionals Televised Debates Getting Out the Vote Campaign Blunders Forecasting the Outcome Counting the Vote PART III. ISSUES 6. APPRAISALS Reform upon Reform The Political Theory of Policy Government Reform by Means of Participatory Democracy Some Specific Reforms Party Platforms and Party Differences 7. AMERICAN PARTIES AND DEMOCRACY Elections and Public Policy Parties of Advocacy versus Parties of Intermediation APPENDIXES A. Vote by Groups in Presidential Elections, 1984–2020 B. Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections, by Population Characteristics, 1984–2020 C. Selections from the Democratic and Republican Party Platforms, 2020 Notes Index

Editorial Reviews

<:st>New edition of the standard work first published in 1964. Cited in Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

Presidential Elections: Strategies and Structures of American Politics is the gold standard for textbooks on U.S. presidential elections. The volume thoroughly covers critical pieces of the puzzle of presidential elections including money, different campaign actors, and rules. In addition, it delves into equally important topics that often receive less attention such as the strategic factors in campaigns that can mean winning or losing for a candidate. The up-to-date nature of the volume is also outstanding in covering new trends in topics like media and information flow as well as the changing nature of presidential primaries. In short, this book is a must for those looking for a complete understanding of presidential elections in the U.S..

David Dulio

This book is in its 16th edition for a reason. No book on presidential elections is better. The scholarly coverage is logically developed, complete, and joyfully readable. Everything students need to know about presidential elections is clearly presented with skillful use of informative figures, tables, and charts. I have used this classic textbook for decades. I will continue to use it because my students love this book.

Kenneth F. Warren

Presidential Elections remains the classic text on the structure, history, and process of presidential campaign politics. It is unsurpassed in its coverage of the breadth of influences on elections and their roles in electoral history. This provides an excellent foundation for a better informed and more sophisticated perspective on our current electoral politics–particularly important in these hyper-polarized times.

James E. Campbell

Since it first published in 1964, Presidential Elections has been an instant classic. Schier and Hopkins continue the tradition by offering a 360-degree view of the changing American elections landscape.

Janet M. Box-Steffensmeier