Parties and elections in America : the electoral process / L. Sandy Maisel and Mark D. Brewer.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [399]-433) and index.

1. Elections and political parties -- Examination of elections in the United States -- Role of elections in democratic theory -- Modes of elections -- Direct elections -- Indirect elections -- Implications for representation -- Representatives' perspectives -- The public's perspective and the role of parties in representation -- Definitions of "political party" and "party systems" -- Politicians view of the party system --

2. American political parties and party organization -- Development of American political parties -- The first party system -- Elections of 1796 and 1800 -- Contributions of the first party system -- Second party system -- Innovations of the second party system -- Third party system -- Fourth party system -- Era of reform -- Fifth party system -- Sixth party system: yes, but defined how? -- Realignment of the South -- Rise of cultural issues -- Parties and the closely divided American electorate -- Decline and resurgence of partisanship -- Modern party organization -- Local and county organizations -- State party organizations -- Structure of the state party -- Role of the state party -- Party organization at the national level -- National committees -- "Hill Committees" -- National parties respond -- Politicians view party organization --

3. Voting and other forms of political participation -- Who votes; who doesn't -- Expansion of the franchise -- Property requirements -- Black suffrage -- Women's suffrage -- Lowering the voting age -- Addition regulations: residency and registration -- Decline in voter participation -- Voting by Blacks -- Voting by young voters -- Voting by women -- What distinguishes voters from nonvoters? -- Voters in presidential elections -- Models of voting behavior: The American Voter -- Critics of The American Voter Model -- Criticism by V.O. Key Jr. and his followers -- Criticism from successors in the Michigan School -- Presidential voting reviewed -- Voters in congressional, senatorial, and state and local elections -- Voting behavior theory revisited -- Participation in politics in America -- Politicians view political participation --

4. Organized groups in the political process -- Organized groups in American politics -- Political and nonpolitical associations -- Politically active groups -- Economic and noneconomic interests -- Multipurpose or single-purpose groups -- Federal or national groups -- Electoral activities of organized groups -- Working within the party -- Group ratings -- Political Action committees -- Interest groups' influence on their members -- Politicians view interest groups --

5. Campaign finance -- Long history of campaign finance reform -- Climate for reform -- Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 and efforts at amendment -- Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976) and its impact -- The seven-year battle for McCain-Feingold and its demise -- The cost of democracy and who pays for it -- Costs -- Sources of campaign funds -- Individual contributions -- Political Action committees -- Political parties -- Soft money -- Public financing -- Politicians view campaign finance in a post-BCRA and post-Citizens United world --

6. State and local nominations -- Political context and politicians' decisions to run -- Development of the Direct Primary System -- Primaries as an item on the Progressive Agenda -- Varieties of primaries -- Who may run -- Party membership and petition requirements -- Role of parties -- Top Two System -- Cross-filing: another exception to party allegiance -- Who may vote -- Closed and open primaries -- Theoretical arguments regarding primary voter eligibility -- Pragmatic considerations regarding primary voter eligibility -- Strategic consequences of different primary rules -- Crossover voting -- Who wins -- Plurality rule -- Variations from plurality rule: runoff primaries -- Variations from plurality rule: instant runoff systems -- Politics of nominations -- Uncontested nominations -- Contested nominations -- Incumbent advantage -- Contests without incumbents -- Politicians view the nominating process --

7. State and local elections -- Conventional wisdom: old versus new politics -- New politics: campaigning in a Media Age -- Redistricting and reapportionment -- Role of political parties -- Role of organized groups -- Media politics -- Candidate's personal organization -- Structure of modern campaign -- Public opinion polling -- Media consultants -- Internet consultants -- Fund-raisers -- Scheduling and advance work, press relations, field organization, and liaison to the political party and organized groups -- Old-style politics: more prominent role for parties -- Reexamination of the role of political parties -- Local campaigns in the absence of party -- Do campaigns determine who wins elections? -- Lack of competition in American elections -- Incumbent advantage in U.S. House and State Legislative races -- Competition in U.S. Senate and Gubernatorial races -- Credible competition in American elections -- Third parties in state and local elections -- Politicians view the general election --

8. Presidential nominations -- Post-1968 reforms -- McGovern-Fraser Commission -- 1972 nomination -- Reform Movement: an assessment -- Twenty-first-Century nominations -- Strategic considerations in the contests for nominations -- Political calendar -- Influence of Iowa and New Hampshire and front-loading the system -- Super Tuesday -- Filing deadlines -- Strategic implications of the political calendar -- Rules of the game -- Proportional representation versus Winner-Take-All systems -- Superdelegates versus influential party leaders -- Strategic use of campaign resources -- Office -- Money -- Media -- Evaluating nominating campaigns -- Conventions -- Credentials challenges -- Rules disputes -- Party platforms -- Vice Presidential nominations -- Evaluation of the conventions -- Politicians view the nominating process --

9. Presidential elections -- From the convention to the general election -- Organizing the general election -- Structuring the campaign organization -- Campaign headquarters - National Committee -- Mobile headquarters -- Division and integration of authority and responsibility -- Functions of a presidential campaign organization -- Organization -- Grassroots politics -- Staffing the candidate's plane -- Staffing the campaign headquarters -- Setting a campaign strategy -- Strategies for the general election -- Geographic determinations -- Coalition strategies -- Issue strategies -- Campaign themes -- Character as a campaign issue -- Issues raised during a campaign -- Strategic use of incumbency -- Tactics for the general election -- Tactical considerations of where to go -- Tactical considerations of Media use -- Tactical considerations of which issues to discuss -- Tactics of presidential debates -- Third-party candidates in presidential elections -- Politicians view the campaigns --

10. Media and the electoral process -- Media in the contemporary context -- Free Media: journalists' presentations of candidates and campaigns -- Varieties of free Media -- Role of the free Media -- Informed consent of the governed -- Window on the candidates -- Referee between candidates -- Actual role the Media play -- Great Mentioner -- Image Creator -- Expectation Setter -- Issue Identifier -- Field Narrower -- Campaign Critic -- Documentor of Elections -- Purveyor of Results -- Assessment of the role of free Media -- Why do the Media play the roles they do? -- How should we evaluate that role? -- Paid Media: the candidate provides the message -- Types of paid Media -- Controversies caused by the use of paid Media -- Negative advertising -- Issue advocacy advertisements -- Impact of paid Media on election campaigns -- Intended consequences of paid Media campaigns -- Politicians view Media --

11. Party in government -- Theoretical and historical context: is strong party government possible in the United States? -- Measuring party strength in Congress -- Party organization in Congress: the leadership hierarchy in the House and Senate -- House leadership -- Democratic hegemony -- Republican revolution -- Democrats bounce back and stumble again: 2006-2010 -- Backbone of House leadership: The Whip Systems -- Senate leadership -- President as leader of party in government -- Politicians view party in government --

12. Role of political parties -- Role of elections -- Context of Federalism -- Presidential elections -- Congressional elections -- State and local elections -- Nonpartisan politics -- Voters, parties, and elections -- Electronic revolution: television and the Internet -- Parties in the modern election -- Parities' appeal to the electorate -- Tone of Twenty-first-Century politics.

Parties and Elections in America: The Electoral Process covers all elements of parties and the electoral process, including local, state, and national party organizations; American party history and party systems; state and local nominations; state and local elections; presidential nominations; and presidential elections. Separate chapters are devoted to the important subjects of the media in the electoral process and campaign finance. The role of political parties in representative democracy-and their contributions to it-are examined critically. The sixth edition incorporates the results of the 2010 midterm elections.