The elections of 2004 might not have been as protracted as in 2000, but the intensity of political polarization, the impact of money and fundraising, and the interplay of economic, cultural, and security issues were in dramatic effect. An insightful look at the 2004 elections, this highly anticipated volume offers students a road map for teasing out the tension and competition of particular races while giving perspective to the larger trends and implications of the election results. An invaluable resource when imparting the significance of voting and elections in the classroom, instructors can count on The Elections of 2004 for a gripping read and unsurpassed analysis.

Michael Nelson brings together a world-class team of contributors, with leading lights Gerald Pomper and Wilson Carey McWilliams new to this edition, along with the additional fresh perspectives from Barry Burden, Nicole Mellow and Marian Currinder.

1. The Setting: George W. Bush, Majority President, Michael Nelson

The elections of 2004 occurred in a setting of steadily growing Republican strength and may represent the arrival of an enduring Republican majority in national politics.

John Kerry defied historical patterns of politics by winning the Democratic nomination even though Howard Dean began the year with the traditional ingredients of success: money and momentum. For his part, George W. Bush benefited from winning an uncontested nomination from a unified party.

Although the 2004 presidential race was in some ways a red state-blue state rerun of the 2000 election, the importance of post-9/11 security issues and the dramatic rise in voter turnout made it distinctive.

As in the past, voters in 2004 were most concerned about security. Although they continue to regard the Democrats as the party of economic security, they turned to the Republicans to safeguard national and cultural security.

While television remained important, 2004 marked the rise of the Internet to new prominence in campaign fundraising and volunteer mobilization.

The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 altered the ways in which political actors used money to influence the elections of 2004, but the Act did nothing to reduce the amounts of money that were spent.

A solid election victory for Bush and his party eliminated any doubts lingering from 2000 about the legitimacy of his election, and it strengthened his already strong grip on Congress. But the campaign provided no realistic guidance for dealing with the extraordinary policy problems left over from his first term.

The 2004 congressional elections reinforced both the Republican majority and the recent ideological polarization of the parties.

Deeply rooted trends in political issues and ideas found expression in the 2004 campaign and its results.

Michael Nelson teaches courses on U.S. politics, presidency, and the Constitutional Convention at Rhodes College. In addition, he participates in the college's humanities course: The Search for Values in the Light of Western History and Religion. Before coming to Rhodes in 1991, he taught at Vanderbilt University for thirteen years and was the editor of The Washington Monthly. His most recent books are The Presidency and the Political System, 8th ed. (2006), The Elections of 2004 (2005), The Evolving Presidency, 2nd ed. (2004), The American Presidency: Origins and Development, 1776-2002, 4th ed. (with Sidney M. Milkis, 2003), Governing Gambling: Politics and Policy in State, Tribe, and Nation (with John Lyman Mason, 2001), and Celebrating the Humanities: A Half Century of the Search Course at Rhodes College (1996).