What decides elections? Is it the national economic condition, voters’ partisan attachments, or the campaigns that candidates run? How much do campaigns matter? Scholars and political consultants will give you different answers. Stephen C. Craig and David B. Hill bring together the voices of both in this engaging volume, now updated to include the volatile and groundbreaking 2008 campaigns and elections. Each chapter features an essay from a top scholar in the field, followed by a response from political consultants. Contributors bring to bear the best literature and empirical evidence to determine what we know about the factors that drive election outcomes—all while inviting students to join in the conversation.

Stephen C. Craig and David B. Hill bring together the voices of both scholars and political consultants in this engaging volume, now updated to include the volatile and groundbreaking 2008 campaigns and elections. Each chapter features an essay from a top scholar in the field, followed by a response from political consultants. Contributors bring to bear the best literature and empirical evidence to determine what we know about the factors that drive election outcomes—all while inviting students to join in the conversation.

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1. Do Campaigns Really Matter?
Thomas M. Holbrook
Whit Ayers Responds

2. Campaign Strategy
Michael John Burton, Daniel M. Shea, and William J. Miller|
Charlie Black Responds

3. Swing Voters
William G. Mayer
V. Lance Tarrance Jr. Responds

4. Voter Competence
Stephen C. Craig and Michael D. Martinez
Mark M. Blumenthal Responds

5. Money and Elections
Marian L. Currinder and John C. Green
Stuart Rothenberg Responds

6. Political Advertising
Michael M. Franz
Mike Murphy Responds
David B. Hill Responds

7. Campaigns and the News Media
Thomas A. Hollihan
Adam Smith Responds

8. Campaigning in the Internet Age
Michael T. Heaney, Matthew E. Newman, and Dari E. Sylvester
Chris Casey Responds

9. Direct Democracy and Candidate Elections
Daniel A. Smith
Celinda Lake and Daniel Gotoff Respond

10. Grassroots Mobilization
Peter W. Wielhouwer
Jack St. Martin Responds

11. The Impact of Political Consultants
David A. Dulio
Ron Faucheux Responds

12. Scandal, Corruption, and Campaign Ethics
Beth A. Rosenson
Susan B. Casey Responds

13. A View from the Trenches
David B. Hill

The Electoral Challenge is essential for students, teachers, and journalists interested in learning more about how electoral dynamics influence political campaigns. Each chapter effectively connects up-to-date academic research from top scholars in the field with practical experience from political consultants. The book engages students in a diverse, constructive, and contextualized dialogue over how political campaigns inform our democratic system. It is a great text for anyone teaching political campaigning. - Michael J. Brogan, Rider University

Stephen Craig has compiled an impressive collection of chapters in this fantastic book. The chapters provide a broad, yet thorough, coverage of the literature ranging from campaign effects to money in politics. Students regularly said this book was the most interesting and helpful for understanding the connection between political science theories and real-life politics. A must have for undergraduate classes dealing with elections and voting! - Andrew Garner, University of Wyoming

Stephen C. Craig is professor of political science at the University of Florida, as well as director of the university’s graduate program in Political Campaigning. He is author of The Malevolent Leaders: Popular Discontent in America; editor of Broken Contract? Changing Relationships between Americans and Their Government; co-editor of After the Boom: The Politics of Generation X; Ambivalence and the Structure of Political Opinion; Ambivalence, Politics, and Public Policy; and has published numerous book chapters and articles in professional journals. Craig has worked extensively with both academic and political surveys and continues to conduct polling and focus-group research for clients in Florida and elsewhere.