Local party organizations in the twenty-first century / Douglas D. Roscoe and Shannon Jenkins.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Roscoe, Douglas D., 1969- author.

Contributor:

Jenkins, Shannon, 1971-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political party organization--United States.

Political party organization.

Local elections--United States.

Local elections.

Politics, Practical--United States.

Politics, Practical.

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

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (172 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Albany, New York : SUNY Press, 2016.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

While the media pay the most attention to the actions of the national political committees, political scientists have long emphasized the key role of local party organizations. Despite sweeping changes in the political environment, remarkably little research has sought to understand precisely how these local parties are structured, what they do, and whether they have any impact on the political system. In Local Party Organizations in the Twenty-First Century, Douglas D. Roscoe and Shannon Jenkins use data collected from more than 1,100 local parties in forty-eight states to provide the most thorough examination of the role of local political parties in the US political system, something that has been lacking in contemporary accounts of the role of parties. They show that party organizations take particular forms and engage in certain activities because political actors find these forms and activities useful for winning elections. While past research has centered primarily on the role of national and state political parties in the United States, this book demonstrates the continuing central role of local political parties in the electoral process, providing readers with a more comprehensive understanding of the US party system.

Contents:

Contents; List of Tables and Figures; Tables; Figures; Acknowledgments; Chapter 1: Party Organizations in Their Environment; A Changing Political Landscape; Organizational Evolution; Party Organizers and the Party Exchange; Innovation and Adaptation; Conclusion: Local Parties in the 21st Century; Chapter 2: Connections and Cooperation in the State Party Confederacy; Survey of Local Party Chairs; Assistance from the State Party; Political Party Organizational Culture; Cultural Differences between Democrats and Republicans; Cultural Difference within Parties and States

Conclusion: State Party Influence on Local PartiesChapter 3: Organizational Structure and Activity at the Local Level; Organizational Form at the Local Level: Patterns of Structure and Activity; Organizational Form and the Environment; Multilevel Model Specification; Modeling Local Party Structure; Modeling Local Party Activity; Conclusion: State and Local Environments; Chapter 4: The Electoral Payoff; Analyzing the Effects of Party Activity; Different Activities, Different Effects; Conclusion: The Continued Utility of Local Parties; Chapter 5: The Future of Local Party Organizations

Purposive Benefits and Party ActivityMoney and Local Party Organizations; Conclusion: The Future of Local Parties; Appendix: Local Party Chair Survey; Survey Responses; Measuring Party Organizational Culture; Survey Instrument; Notes; References; Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781438459516

1438459513

OCLC:

941695472