Even in the face of competition from individual candidates, interest groups, and the mass media, American political parties have undergone a resurgence in recent years, surprising both scholars and pundits alike. It is this revitalization of the parties that authors Hetherington and Keefe explore and analyze, grappling with the question of why so many Americans today profess anti-party attitudes yet behave in party-centered ways. Firm landmarks on the political scene, parties continue to form the principal institution for popular control of government.
Thoroughly updated and revised, the tenth edition includes:
- data and analysis of the 2004 elections integrated into every chapter and reflected in the book’s many tables and figures
- exploration of the effects of campaign finance reform on the electoral system
- examination of important and continuing trends such as the coalescing of the parties into regional power bases and the increasing homogeneity of the parties’ demographic
makeup
- revamped discussion of party coalitions
- greater development of the polarization argument to underscore the values at the heart of the debate, and to look at polarization’s impact on the parties and on Congress, discussing some of the devices party leaders use to ensure that caucus members vote along party lines
Table of Contents
Tables and Figures
Preface
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
Index
Testimonials
”There is simply no better political parties text on the market than Hetherington and Keefe’s Parties, Politics, and Public Policy in America. Through a combination of elegant prose and analytical precision all too rare in college texts, the authors bring the study of political parties to life for students. Hetherington and Keefe clearly have an extraordinary intellectual grasp on the American party system. And in this fine volume, they skillfully weave the considerable changes that have unfolded in American politics into the enduring themes that make up the study of American parties.”
- Bruce A. Larson, Gettysburg College“Professors Hetherington and Keefe neatly summarize the work that parties do as organizations, as legislative actors, and within the electorate. In an era where the congressional parties are increasingly polarized and voters remain closely divided, understanding the roles that parties play is vital. This book provides an edifying overview and presents important trends clearly. It is a valuable resource for both teachers and students.”
- John Sides, George Washington University“Hetherington and Keefe not only introduce students to contemporary ideas about parties, politics, and public policy, they also discuss the political science research that supports, distills, and clarifies these ideas. Their line of reasoning is sensible and the evidence for it is accessible and convincing. Parties may appear in disarray, the authors argue, but don’t be fooled: they are not weak and they are not going away.”
- Lynn Vavreck, University of California, Los Angeles“Parties, Politics, and Public Policy in America is a well written and engaging account of the enduring and evolving role that parties play in the American political system. The book provides an outstanding overview of contemporary party politics and identifies a number of important challenges and opportunities facing modern parties.”
- Thomas J. Rudolph, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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.
William J. Keefe, University of Pittsburgh
William J. Keefe is professor emeritus of political science at the University of Pittsburgh and former president of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society. He is the author of several books on American politics, including Congress and the American People, and with Morris S. Ogul, The American Legislative Process: Congress and the States.
