Vital Statistics on American Politics 2011-2012

by Stanley, Harold W.; Niemi, Richard G.

• ISBN13: 9781608717378
• ISBN10: 1608717372
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-09-30
• Publisher: Cq Pr

Summary

There is no other print source, online source, or Web search engine that provides the wide range and depth of insight found in Vital Statistics on American Politics. This new edition is updated with the most recent information available. What sets this book apart is the experience of editors Harold Stanley and Richard Niemi. These scholars consult hundreds of sources to calculate and locate the data, facts, and figures that offer a vivid and multifaceted portrait of the broad spectrum of United States politics and policies. In over 230 tables and figures, students, professional researchers, and interested citizens will find chapters devoted to key subject areas such as elections and political parties, public opinion and voting, the media, the three branches of U.S. government, foreign, military, social and economic policy, and much more. For depth of information and ease of use, this volume is the best resource of its kind available and should be a key component of all academic and large public library collections.

Author Biography

Harold W. Stanley is the Guerin-Pettus Distinguished Chair in American Politics and Political Economy at Southern Methodist University (SMU). In 1979, he joined the University of Rochester Department of Political Science and served as its chair from 1996-1999. Known as an expert in American national politics and electoral change in the South, Stanley currently serves as associate provost at SMU. Richard G. Niemi is the Don Alonzo Watson Professor of Political Science at the University of Rochester. He is the coauthor of many books, including Civic Education: What Makes Students Learn and Voting Technology: The Not-So-Simple Act of Casting a Ballot. Niemi has written numerous articles on political socialization, voting, and legislative districting. He is currently doing research on civic education and voting.

Table of Contents

Tables and Figures	p. vii
Acknowledgments	p. xvii
Introduction	p. xix
Accuracy of Published Data
Obtaining Additional Material
Elections and Political Parties	p. 1
Turnout
Political Parties
Election Results (President, Congress, and State)
Minority Elected Officials
Presidential Nominations
Districting
Voting Rights
Term Limits
Voting Equipment
Campaign Finance and Political Action Committees	p. 81
Contribution Limits
Presidential Campaign Financing
Party Expenditures
Political Action Committees (PACs)
Public Opinion and Voting	p. 103
Partisanship
Ideology
Voting by Groups
Presidential and Congressional Approval
Confidence in Government and the Economy
Most Important Problem
Specific Issues
The Media	p. 155
National Reach
Presence in Washington
Public Use
Coverage and Viewership of Presidential Campaigns, Conventions, and Debates
Newspaper Endorsements
Congress	p. 185
Apportionment
Membership Characteristics
Committees
Bills and Laws
Voting Patterns
Current Members
The Presidency and Executive Branch	p. 233
Presidents
Ratings
Backgrounds
Cabinet and Staff
Congressional Relations
Civil Service Employment
Regulations
The Judiciary	p. 259
Federal and State Court Structures
Supreme Court Justices
Ratings
Failed Nominations
Federal Court Judges
Supreme Court Caseloads
Federal Court Caseloads
Laws Overturned
Federalism	p. 287
Historical Data
State Constitutional Provisions
States and the Federal Constitution
State and Local Governments and Employees
Revenues and Spending
Personal Income
Intergovernmental Revenue Flows
State Government Performance
Foreign and Military Policy	p. 325
Treaties and Agreements
Military Engagements
Military Personnel
Expenditures
Military Sales and Assistance
Foreign Aid
Investment and Trade
Social Policy	p. 346
Population
Immigration
Medicare and Social Security
Income Levels
Public Aid
Health Insurance
Integration in Schooling and Employment
Abortion
Crime and Punishment
Economic Policy	p. 382
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Federal Budget
National Debt
Tax Breaks
Labor Unions
Minimum Wages
Unemployment
Appendix: Definitions of Regions	p. 405
Guide to References for Political Statistics	p. 408
Index	p. 429
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.