Presidential elections : strategies and structures of American politics / Nelson W. Polsby, Aaron Wildavsky, with David A. Hopkins.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Polsby, Nelson W.

Contributor:

Wildavsky, Aaron B.

Hopkins, David A.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Presidents--United States--Election.

Presidents.

United States.

Physical Description:

xv, 347 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm

Edition:

Twelfth edition.

Place of Publication:

Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, [2008]

Summary:

Brimming with data and examples from the heated 2004 election, and laced with previews of 2008, the twelfth edition of this classic text offers a complete overview of the presidential election process from the earliest straw polls and fundraisers to final voter turnout and exit interviews. The comprehensive coverage includes campaign strategy, the sequence of electoral events, and the issues, all from the perspective of the various actors in the election process: voters, interest groups, political parties, the media, and the candidates themselves.

Contents:

Part I The Strategic Environment 3

1 Voters 5

Why People Don't Vote 5

Why People Do Vote: A Theory of Social Connectedness 10

In the Minds of Voters: Party 11

Parties as Aggregates of Loyal Voters 12

In the Minds of Voters: Ideologies, Candidates, and Issues 16

Changes in Party Identification: Social Habit Versus Contemporary Evaluation 19

A Central Strategic Problem: The Attentiveness of Voters 22

2 Groups 27

The Presidential Vote as an Aggregation of Interest Groups 27

Variations Among Interest Groups 33

"Special" Interests and Public Interest Groups 36

Political Parties as Organizations 41

Third Parties 47

3 Rules and Resources 51

Rules: The Electoral College 51

Thinking About Resources 52

Resources: Money 53

The Beverly Hills Primary 53

Public Financing in the Prenomination Period 58

Raising and Spending Money in the General Election 61

Does Money Buy Elections? 66

Campaign Finance Reform 71

Resources: Control Over Information 74

Newspapers 75

Television 79

The Internet 82

Incumbency as a Resource: The Presidency 85

Incumbency as a Liability: The Vice Presidency 88

Convertibility of Resources 93

Part II Sequences 95

4 The Nomination Process 97

Before the Primaries 99

Iowa and New Hampshire: The First Hurdles 102

1972 103

1976 103

1980 105

1984 106

1988 106

1992 107

1996 108

2000 109

2004 110

What Do These Historical Vignettes Teach? 111

State Primaries 113

State Caucuses 129

The National Party Conventions 131

Candidate Organizations at the Conventions 133

Party Delegates at the Conventions 135

The Convention as Advertising 140

The Vice-Presidential Nominee 143

The Future of National Conventions 147

5 The Campaign 151

The Well-Traveled Candidates 152

Getting Good Press 158

Issues 161

Advising the Candidate 161

Economic Issues 162

Foreign Issues 164

Social Issues 166

Campaign Professionals 168

Polling 172

Focus Groups 177

Advertising 182

Television 182

Targeting 183

Radio and Newspapers 184

Other Media 185

Strategies and Tactics 195

Negative Campaigning 197

Presentation of Self 200

Televised Debates 202

Blunders 207

Part III Issues 219

6 Appraisals 221

The Political Theory of Policy Government 223

Reform by Means of Participatory Democracy 229

Some Specific Reforms 233

The Nomination Process 233

The Decline of the National Convention 239

The Electoral College 242

Party Platforms and Party Differences 249

7 American Parties and Democracy 257

Elections and Public Policy 258

Parties of Advocacy Versus Parties of Intermediation 262

A Vote by Groups in Presidential Elections, 1952-2004 270

B Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections, by Population Characteristics, 1968-2004 278.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 289-335) and index.

ISBN:

9780742554146

0742554147

9780742554153

0742554155

OCLC:

78893033