Parties, Politics, and Public Policy in America

by Keefe, William J.

• ISBN13: 9781568023526
• ISBN10: 1568023529
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-01-01
• Publisher: Cq Pr

Summary

A comprehensive survey of U.S. political parties: their form, their function, and their present state of health. In this latest edition, Keefe provides a clear understanding of how and why present-day parties function as they do. He gives extensive coverage to the parties' role in the electoral process including the primaries, candidate finance, and voting behavior. Keefe also evaluates the changing nature of party coalitions, party ideologies, interest groups, and heightened popular skepticism toward government, politics, and politicians.

Table of Contents

Tables and Figures	xi	(6)
Preface	xvii
Chapter One Political Parties and the Political System	1	(39)
The Parties and Their Environment	2	(16)
Party Organization	18	(10)
The Activities of Parties	28	(12)
Chapter Two The Characteristics of American Parties	40	(40)
The Primary Characteristic: Dispersed Power	40	(7)
Law and the Parties	47	(2)
Variations in Party Competition from State to State and from Office to Office	49	(12)
Parties as Coalitions	61	(6)
Parties of Ideological Heterogeneity	67	(2)
Parties of Moderation and Inclusivity	69	(3)
The Party as an Interest Group	72	(1)
The Ambiguity of Party Membership	73	(1)
The Indomitable Party?	74	(6)
Chapter Three Political Parties and the Electoral Process: Nominations	80	(48)
Nominating Methods	80	(3)
Types of Primaries	83	(4)
An Overview of the Primary	87	(2)
The National Convention	89	(10)
Evaluating Presidential Primary and Caucus-Convention Systems	99	(11)
The Politics of the Convention	110	(6)
A National Primary? Regional Primaries?	116	(2)
The Media, the Presidential Nominating Process, and the Parties	118	(10)
Chapter Four Political Parties and the Electoral Process: Campaigns and Campaign Finance	128	(44)
Campaign Organization	129	(2)
Campaign Strategy	131	(8)
Campaign Money	139	(14)
The Regulation of Campaign Finance	153	(19)
Chapter Five Political Parties and the Electorate	172	(46)
Turnout: The Diminished Electorate	173	(10)
The Regulation of Voting	183	(3)
Forms of Political Participation	186	(8)
Party Identification in the Electorate	194	(13)
The Voting Behavior of Social Groups	207	(11)
Chapter Six The Congressional Party and the Formation of Public Policy	218	(44)
Congressional Elections	219	(1)
Party Representation in Congress	220	(3)
Party Organization in Congress	223	(13)
National Party Agencies and the Congressional Parties	236	(2)
Do the Parties Differ on Public Policies?	238	(8)
The President and the Congressional Party	246	(7)
The Party in Congress: Unfavorable Odds	253	(9)
Chapter Seven The American Party System: Problems and Perspectives	262	(55)
The Doctrine of Responsible Parties	262	(7)
Responsible Parties and Party Reform	269	(4)
Trends in American Politics	273	(30)
The Prospects	303	(14)
Index	317