Minority party misery : political powerlessness and electoral disengagement / Jacob F.H. Smith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smith, Jacob F. H., 1990- author.

Contributor:

Michigan Publishing (University of Michigan), publisher.

Series:

Legislative politics & policy making

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Congress--Elections.

United States.

United States. Congress.

Elections.

United States. Congress--Rules and practice.

Political parties--United States.

Political parties.

Opposition (Political science).

Opposition (Political science)--United States.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiv, 185 pages) : illustrations.

Place of Publication:

Ann Arbor, Michigan : University of Michigan Press, 2021.

System Details:

text file

Summary:

This book examines the role of minority party status on politicians' engagement in electoral politics. Jacob Smith argues that politicians are more likely to be engaged in electoral politics when they expect their party to be in the majority in Congress after the next election and less likely when they anticipate their party will be in the minority. This effect is particularly likely to hold true in recent decades where parties disagree on a substantial number of issues. Politicians whose party will be in the majority have a clear incentive to engage in electoral politics because their preferred policies have a credible chance of passing if they are in the majority. In contrast, it is generally difficult for minority party lawmakers to get a hearing on-much less advance-their preferred policies, particularly when institutional rules inside Congress favor the majority party. Instead, minority party lawmakers spend most of their time fighting losing battles against policy proposals from the majority party. Minority Party Misery examines the consequences of the powerlessness that politicians feel from continually losing battles to the majority party in Congress. Its findings have important consequences for democratic governance, as highly qualified minority party politicians may choose to leave office due to their dismal circumstances rather than continue to serve until their party eventually reenters the majority.

Contents:

Introduction

A theory of minority party status

I'm out of here! : minority party status and the decision to retire from Congress

How does this make cents? : party fundraising and the congressional minority

Minority party status and the decision to run for office

To meddle or not to meddle? : minority party status, party leaders, and candidate recruitment

Political ambition, electoral engagement, and the U.S. Senate

Laboratories of ambition? : the legislative minority in U.S. states

Conclusion

Appendixes

Appendix A: Notes on interview subjects and methods

Appendix B: Discussion of data collection for campaign finance data in Chapter 3

Appendix C: Detailed discussion of methods for content analysis.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 167-185) and index.

Description based on information from the publisher.

Has Supplement:

Supplement (work): Smith, Jacob F. H., 1990- Minority party misery 1 online resource (online appendix from the author on Fulcrum)

ISBN:

9780472128525

0472128523

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.