Conventional Wisdom and American Elections Exploding Myths, Exploring Misconceptions

by Baumgartner, Jody C.; Francia, Peter L.

• ISBN13: 9781442200876
• ISBN10: 1442200871
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-04-16
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

Many students develop misinformed opinions about the American electoral process. Conventional Wisdom and American Elections: Exploding Myths, Exploring Misconceptions debunks some of the more common misunderstandings that have arisen about the electoral process in the past few decades. The book's organization and structure complement courses on campaigns and elections, political parties, political participation, public opinion, the media, Congress, and the presidency. Topics include campaign finance, political participation and voting, and the roles played by campaigns, negative campaigning, political parties, and the media in the electoral process. Each chapter is fairly short yet offers comprehensive coverage of the subject matter. The book contains a minimum of complex statistical analysis and is written so that it is accessible to undergraduate students. However, explicit connections are made throughout the text between political science research and the role it plays in dispelling falsehoods about campaigns and elections. The book is useful as a pedagogical tool to help 'hook' students into thinking about elections, politics, and political science. The second edition includes material from the 2008 election, as well as two new chapters that cover campaign finance reform and the selection of vice presidential candidates.

Author Biography

Jody C Baumgartner is assistant professor of political science at East Carolina University Peter L. Francia is associate professor of political science at East Carolina University.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. ix
Preface	p. xiii
Acknowledgments	p. xvii
Voters
Vanishing Voters: Misconceptions about Voter Turnout and the Youth Vote	p. 3
A Polarized Nation? "The Culture War" and Divisions in American Politics	p. 17
The Myth of Independent and Swing Voters	p. 37
Following Campaigns
Misconceptions about Campaign Finance Reform: What Regulations Have and Have Not Accomplished	p. 49
The "Veepstakes": Balancing the Ticket and Other Myths about Vice Presidential Selection	p. 67
Myth or Reality? Presidential Campaigns Have Become Nastier	p. 83
Science or Voodoo? Misconceptions about National Election Polls	p. 99
"It's the Ratings, Stupid": Misconceptions about Media Bias	p. 113
A "Dime's Worth of Difference"? Political Parties and the Myth of Tweedledum and Tweedledee	p. 127
Understanding Election Outcomes
Selling the President: The "Image is Everything" Myth	p. 145
The Illusion of Competitive Congressional Elections	p. 159
"Kingmaker" and Battleground States and the Myth of National Presidential Elections	p. 179
Notes	p. 197
Index	p. 231
About the Authors	p. 241
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