Conventional wisdom and American elections : exploding myths, exploring misconceptions / Jody C. Baumgartner and Peter L. Francia.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Baumgartner, Jody C., 1958- author.

Francia, Peter L., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Elections--United States.

Elections.

United States.

Politics, Practical--United States.

Politics, Practical.

United States--Politics and government.

Politics and government.

Physical Description:

xvi, 216 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 23 cm

Edition:

Fourth edition.

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Maryland : Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, [2020]

Summary:

During every election cycle, political observers generate a seemingly limitless supply of theories, opinions, and predictions. Unfortunately, many of these assertions oversimplify complex subjects or overhype the latest political fads. Inevitably, some misinformation becomes part of the conventional wisdom about American elections. The objective of Conventional Wisdom and American Elections: Exploding Myths, Exploring Misconceptions is to bring clarity to several of these subjects. For example, it is now commonplace for commentators to emphasize the negative tactics and practices of the campaigns of presidential candidates. In 2016, some commentators suggested that the presidential campaign was the "nastiest" ever, with the campaigns of President Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and their supporters, going to "new extremes" of negativity. However, these claims are not new. Dating as far back as the presidential election of 1800, critics of Thomas Jefferson stated that his potential victory would bring about legal prostitution and the burning of the Bible. In 1824, opponents of Andrew Jackson charged that he was a murderer and that his wife was a bigamist. Perhaps most scurrilous of all, Jackson's opponents even accused his dead mother of being a prostitute. In total, Conventional Wisdom and American Elections identifies eleven widely held myths and misconceptions about elections in the United States. The conclusions drawn throughout the book are based on the most current political science research. In some instances, the literature is clear in debunking popular myths about American elections. On other issues, research findings are more mixed. In either case, Conventional Wisdom and American Elections clarifies the issues so that readers can discern between those in which scholars have largely resolved and those in which honest debate remains.

Contents:

1 The "Independent" and "Swing" Voter Myth versus the Reality of Mobilizing the Base p. 1

The Independent Voter p. 2

What about Swing Voters? p. 7

The Partisan Core p. 10

2 To Vote or Not to Vote: Three Myths about Voter Turnout p. 13

What Affects Voter Turnout? p. 14

Voter Turnout in the United States p. 22

Voter Fraud and Voter ID Laws p. 26

3 End of the Two-Party System? The Myth of the Rise of Third Parties p. 29

Party Systems in Comparative Perspective p. 30

A Relatively Moderate Electorate and the Median Voter Theory p. 32

Electoral Systems: Rules and Their Effects p. 33

Is a Third Party Really Needed? p. 41

4 Buying Elections? Campaign Finance Law and Money's Influence in Elections and Politics p. 45

Money, Corruption, and Reform: A Brief History p. 46

Current Law and the Debate Surrounding It p. 50

What Money Does and Does Not Buy in Elections p. 53

After the Election: Money and the Legislative Process p. 56

What's Next? Republicans and Democrats on Campaign Finance Reform p. 57

5 The Veepstakes: Balancing the Ticket and Other Myths about Vice Presidential Selection p. 59

The Historical Era of Vice Presidential Selection p. 60

The Modern Era of Vice Presidential Selection p. 62

Vice Presidential Candidates in the Modern Era p. 64

Rating Recent Vice Presidential Candidates p. 69

Conclusion: Does It Matter? p. 73

6 Mudslinging 101: Have Presidential Campaigns Really Become Nastier? p. 75

"Going Negative" and Negative Campaigns in the Nineteenth Century p. 76

Modern "Negative" Campaigns p. 82

7 Where Have You Gone, Walter Cronkite? The "News" Just Ain't What It Used To Be p. 91

A Brief History of News Production, Distribution, and Consumption p. 92

Changes in the News Environment and the "New" News p. 94

Other Aspects of Campaign Coverage That Leave Us Wanting p. 98

8 Game Changer? Misconceptions about the Significance of Presidential Debates p. 105

Game Changers? p. 106

The Evidence on Presidential Debates and Voting Behavior p. 110

Why Presidential Debates Rarely Affect Voting Behavior p. 113

The Relevance of Presidential Debates p. 115

9 Science or Voodoo? Misconceptions about National Election Polls p. 119

The Basics of Public Polling p. 120

Problem of Pseudo Polls p. 123

How to Determine Likely Voters? p. 125

What about Undecided Voters? p. 126

Problem of Timing: Phases of the Campaign p. 128

Samples, Data, and Reporting p. 130

Applying National Polling Results to a State-By-State Contest p. 132

10 May the Best Person Win? The Illusion of Competitive Congressional Elections p. 135

The Electoral Advantages of Incumbency p. 141

Conclusion: Can Incumbents Lose? p. 148

11 The American People Have Spoken ... or Have They? The Myth of the Presidential Mandate p. 151

The Prevalence of the Mandate Claim p. 152

Defining a Mandate p. 155

Why Mandate Claims Are Usually Wrong p. 157

Reasons for Claiming a Mandate p. 159.

Notes:

Previous edition: 2016.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

ebook version :

ISBN:

9781538129166

1538129167

OCLC:

1127884457