With revitalized and stronger political parties should we see more effective and accountable government? Despite the resurgence of parties in America, charges of irresponsible and unreliable government remain. Why the disconnect? In Parties, Politics, and Public Policy in America, Marc Hetherington along with new coauthor Bruce Larson explore this question, while giving students an overview of how parties work and shape public policymaking in America.
In this eleventh edition, Hetherington and Larson provide more in-depth coverage of the parties’ functions in Congress and campaign finance. In addition, the authors examine developments in the 2008 nomination and election contests—generational voting patterns, shifts in the red-blue divide, and the possibility of a partisan realignment. No other book for this course combines the breadth of scholarship with the brevity and accessibility found here.
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New to this Edition
In this eleventh edition, Hetherington and Larson provide more in-depth coverage of the parties’ functions in Congress and campaign finance. In addition, the authors examine developments in the 2008 nomination and election contests—generational voting patterns, shifts in the red-blue divide, and the possibility of a partisan realignment. No other book for this course combines the breadth of scholarship with the brevity and accessibility found here.
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Table of Contents
1. Political Parties and the Political System
The Activities of Parties Parties as a “Dependent Variable”
Party Organization
2. American Parties: Characteristics and Competition
Characteristics of Parties
Party Competition
The Persistent Two-Party System in America
The Party Condition
3. Political Parties and the Electoral Process: Nominations
Nominating Methods
Types of Primaries
An Assessment of the Direct Primary
Presidential Selection
Evaluating Presidential Primary and Caucus- Convention Systems
The Politics of the Convention
The Media, the Presidential Nominating Process, and the Parties
4. Campaigns and Campaign Finance
Campaign Organization
Campaign Strategy
Campaign Money
The Regulation of Campaign Finance
Sources of Campaign Financing under FECA
Evaluating the Campaign Finance System
5. The Congressional Party and the Formation of Public Policy
Congressional Elections
Party Representation in Congress
Party Organization in Congress
National Party Agencies and the Congressional Parties
Do the Parties Differ on Public Policies?
The President and the Congressional Party
The Polarization of Congressional Parties
6. Party Identification, Partisanship, and Elections
The Origins of Party Identification
The Effects of Party Identification
The Distribution of Party Identification What Divides Partisans?
Turnout: The Diminished Electorate Who Participates?
Atrophy of the Electorate What Caused the Turnout Decline?
The Nation’s Response to Declining Voter Turnout
7. The American Party System: Problems and Perspectives
The Doctrine of Responsible Parties
Responsible Parties and Party Reform
Trends in American Politics
The Prospects
Testimonials
“
Parties, Politics, and Public Policy in America is a rare text because of both its accessibility and its scope. The text is well-written, packed with real-world illustrations and examples of key conceptual points, and it is well-organized, covering all the major sub-topics I need covered. The text’s connection with public policy is what really sets it apart, however, allowing students to easily understand the important policy implications of the structure and behavior of political parties in America. It is, by far, the most useful parties text on the market.”
- Lawrence Becker, California State University, Northridge“
Parties, Politics and Public Policy is one of the best textbooks in American politics at introducing both the broad sweep of the political science of parties as well as the relevant contemporary research to students. However, the biggest contribution made by Hetherington and Larson is the respect they bring for their audience as they explain sophisticated concepts without reducing them to vague pabulum. Academic debates over topics like polarization are tightly connected to the real world concerns that probably inspired students to study party politics in the first place. Simply put, this book will help the reader make sense of what can appear to be a large and sprawling area of knowledge.”
- Michael Tofias, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Bio(s)
Marc J. Hetherington, Vanderbilt University
Marc J. Hetherington is associate professor of political science at Vanderbilt University. He was awarded the Emerging Scholar Award from the Elections, Voting Behavior and Public Opinion section of the American Political Science Association in 2004. He recently published Why Trust Matters: Declining Political Trust and the Demise of American Liberalism (Princeton University Press, 2005). He has published numerous articles in the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, and Public Opinion Quarterly.
Bruce A. Larson, Gettysburg College
Bruce A. Larson is an associate professor of political science at Gettysburg College. A specialist in American political parties and elections, he has published articles in the
Journal of Politics, Legislative Studies Quarterly, and
Political Research Quarterly. Additionally, he is the coauthor of a book on American political parties and the coeditor of a book on statewide ballot initiatives in the United States.
Ancillaries
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