Politics, Parties, and Elections in America

by Bibby, John F.

• ISBN13: 9780534574413
• ISBN10: 0534574416
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-07-16
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

1. Parties and Politics in America. 2. The Party Battle in America. 3. Characteristics of the American Party System. 4. Party Organizations. 5. Nominations for State and Congressional Offices. 6. Presidential Nominating Politics. 7. The General Election: Regulation and Campaign Strategy. 8. Political Parties and the Voters. 9. Parties in the Government. 10. A Concluding Note: American Parties-Distinctive, Durable, Adaptive, and Useful.

Table of Contents

Parties and Politics in America: An Overview	1	(22)
The Nature of Politics	4	(1)
The Nature of Party	5	(2)
The Functions of Parties	7	(8)
Parties as Competitors for Political Influence	15	(2)
Parties and Interest Groups: There Is a Difference!	17	(2)
Party Government and the Peaceful Transfer of Governmental Authority	19	(1)
Suggestions for Further Reading	20	(1)
Notes	21	(2)
The Party Battle in America	23	(40)
The First Party System 1788-1824: Federalists, Republicans, and One-Party Factionalism	25	(3)
The Second Party System, 1828-1854: Democrats versus Whigs in Two-Party Competitive Politics	28	(1)
The Third Party System, 1856-1896: Ascendant Republicans versus Democrats	29	(3)
The Fourth Party System, 1896-1928: Republican Dominance Renewed	32	(4)
The Fifth Party System, 1932-1968: The Democratic New Deal Era	36	(2)
The Sixth Party System, 1968-?: The Post-New Deal Era-Weakened Partisanship, Candidate-Centered Politics, and Divided Government	38	(2)
Minor Parties in American Politics	40	(8)
Some Lessons from Party History	48	(11)
Parties in Decline or Resurgence?	59	(1)
Suggestions for Further Reading	60	(1)
Notes	60	(3)
Characteristics of the American Party System	63	(32)
Two-Party Competition with Variations	64	(8)
Decentralized Power Structures	72	(12)
Broadly Based Electoral Support	84	(1)
Nonprogrammatic Parties	85	(6)
Quasi-Public Institutions with Ambiguous Membership	91	(1)
Weak Parties, but Substantial Partisan Influence	92	(1)
Suggestions for Further Reading	92	(1)
Notes	93	(2)
Party Organizations	95	(58)
The National Parties	100	(24)
State Parties	124	(10)
County and Local Parties	134	(3)
Does Party Organization Make a Difference?	137	(1)
The Party Activists	138	(7)
Party Organizations: Adaptable and Durable	145	(1)
Suggestions for Further Reading	146	(1)
Political Party Web Sites	147	(1)
Notes	147	(6)
Nominations for State and Congressional Offices	153	(34)
The Evolution of the Direct Primary	155	(4)
State Regulation of the Direct Primary	159	(8)
Preprimary Endorsements	167	(4)
Competition in Primaries	171	(2)
Voter Turnout in Primaries	173	(5)
The National Party Organizations and Nominations in the States	178	(3)
The Direct Primary and the General Election	181	(1)
The Direct Primary and Political Parties	182	(1)
Suggestions for Further Reading	183	(1)
Notes	184	(3)
Presidential Nominating Politics	187	(52)
Methods of Delegate Selection	189	(6)
Phases of the Nomination Process	195	(20)
The Ongoing Process of Party Reform	215	(10)
Participation in Presidential Nominating Politics	225	(6)
Media Politics in Presidential Nominations	231	(2)
A Lengthy, Candidate-Centered, Primary-Focused, Participatory and Media-Oriented Process	233	(1)
Suggestions for Further Reading	234	(1)
Presidential Nominating Politics Web Sites	235	(1)
Notes	235	(4)
The General Election: Regulation and Campaign Strategy	239	(68)
Extending the Suffrage	241	(3)
Direct Election of the Senate	244	(1)
Party Column versus Office Bloc Ballot Forms	245	(1)
Financing Elections	245	(25)
The Electoral College	270	(11)
The General Election Campaign	281	(21)
The Campaign and Governance	302	(1)
Suggestions for Further Reading	303	(1)
Web Sites on Campaign Finance	304	(1)
Notes	304	(3)
Political Parties and the Voters	307	(70)
Voter Turnout	308	(11)
Party Identification	319	(6)
Candidates and Issues	325	(5)
Social and Economic Bases of Partisanship and Voting	330	(10)
Election Outcomes	340	(30)
Voters, Elections, and Control of Government	370	(1)
Suggestions for Further Reading	371	(1)
Web Sites on the Party-in-the-Electorate	372	(1)
Notes	372	(5)
Parties in the Government	377	(62)
The President as Party Leader	381	(7)
The Party, the President, and Congress	388	(10)
The Party, the President, and the Executive Branch	398	(6)
The Party, the President, and the Judiciary	404	(2)
Parties in Congress	406	(26)
A Party-Influenced Government, but Not a Party-Dominated Government	432	(1)
Suggestions for Further Reading	433	(1)
Party-in-Government Web Sites	433	(1)
Notes	434	(5)
A Concluding Note: American Parties-Distinctive, Durable, Adaptive, and Useful	439	(3)
Notes	442