The politics of sex : public opinion, parties, and presidential elections / Susan B. Hansen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hansen, Susan B., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Elections--United States--History--21st century.

Elections.

Values--United States--History--21st century.

Values.

Politics and government.

History.

United States--Politics and government--21st century.

United States.

United States--Social conditions--21st century.

Social conditions.

Physical Description:

xii, 210 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Routledge, 2014.

Summary:

"The American cultural landscape has shifted considerably since the 1990s. As church attendance has declined, seculars have increased in number and in political involvement. The economy was supposed to be the most important issue in the 2008 and 2012 elections, but social issues such as gay rights and the status of women actually had a greater impact on vote choice. Moral issues and perceptions of candidate morality had less effect on voters in 2004 than in 2008. These arguments directly challenge the conventional wisdom concerning the 2004 and 2008 elections, which were supposedly decided on the basis of moral values and the economy respectively. Yet in The Politics of Sex, Susan B. Hansen justifies these claims theoretically based on evidence about how voters actually evaluate candidates. Hansen explores trends in public opinion on abortion, gay rights, and the status of women and finds that "values voters" are still crucial in presidential elections, even those supposedly fought over economic or foreign-policy issues. She then analyzes campaign strategies and vote choice to show how Barack Obama made effective use of the liberal trends in public opinion on social issues in 2008 and 2012. Hansen also examines trends in demographics, religious involvement, the institutional setting, and public opinion to predict who in future years benefit from the politics of sex. By providing an historical perspective on the changing impact of morality politics on presidential elections, this book will show how and why the politics of sex now favors the Democratic Party"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

1 The Politics of Sex 1

2 Social Issues and the Survey Response 14

3 Public Opinion and Social Issues 29

4 Religion, Religiosity, and Opinions on Social Issues 50

5 Political Strategy and the Politics of Sex 69

6 Morality, Scandals, and Candidate Character Traits 89

7 Morality, Values, and Politics in Presidential Elections, 1972-2008 103

8 The Politics of Sex in 2010 119

9 "Shiny Objects": Social Issues and the 2012 Election 134

10 Conclusion 156.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780415870580

0415870585

9780415870597

0415870593

OCLC:

855957441