Getting primaried : the changing politics of congressional primary challenges / Robert G. Boatright.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Boatright, Robert G.

Contributor:

Michigan Publishing (University of Michigan), publisher.

Series:

Legislative Politics and Policy Making

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Congress--Elections.

United States.

Political campaigns--United States.

Political campaigns.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (273 p.)

Place of Publication:

Ann Arbor : The University of Michigan Press, [2013]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Each of the past few election cycles has featured at least one instance of "primarying," a challenge to an incumbent on the grounds that he or she is not sufficiently partisan. For many observers, such races signify an increasingly polarized electorate and an increasing threat to moderates of both parties. In Getting Primaried, Robert G. Boatright shows that primary challenges are not becoming more frequent; they wax and wane in accordance with partisan turnover in Congress. The recent rise of primarying corresponds to the rise of national fundraising bases and new types of partisan organizations supporting candidates around the country. National fundraising efforts and interest group supported primary challenges have garnered media attention disproportionate to their success in winning elections. Such challenges can work only if groups focus on a small number of incumbents. Getting Primaried makes several key contributions to congressional scholarship. It presents a history of congressional primary challenges over the past forty years, measuring the frequency of competitive challenges and distinguishing among types of challenges. It provides a correction to accounts of the link between primary competition and political polarization. Further, this study offers a new theoretical understanding of the role of interest groups in congressional elections."

Contents:

""Contents""; ""Acknowledgments""; ""Introduction: An Epidemic of “Primarying�?""; ""1 | Congressional Primary Challenges:A Brief History and a Theoretical Explanation""; ""2 | When and Why Congressional Primary Challenges Happen""; ""3 | The Financing of Congressional Primary Challenges""; ""4 | The Consequences of Congressional Primary Challenges""; ""5 | Interest Groups and Congressional Primaries""; ""6 | Conclusions""; ""Notes""; ""Bibliography""; ""Index""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on information from the publisher.

ISBN:

9781299462960

1299462960

9780472029044

0472029045

OCLC:

840415996