Just in time for the 2012 elections, Parties, Interest Groups, and Political Campaigns, Second Edition, shows how political parties and interest groups have become highly interdependent in the era of candidate-centered elections, issue advocacy organizations, and media-driven campaigns.
Featuring up-to-date data that includes 2008 and 2010 mid-term results and analysis, the second edition looks ahead to 2012 by illustrating such important developments as the emergence of the Tea Party; increasingly polarized politics; divided government; social media; lobbying and interest group developments (including the passage of health care and financial sector reform legislation); and the impact of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision on campaign finance reform. Offering a powerful combination of scholarship, data, and examples, Parties, Interest Groups, and Political Campaigns, Second Edition, provides students with one-stop shopping for understanding the new style of American politics.
New to the Second Edition:
* An examination of the Tea Party and its connections to the Republican infrastructure
* New election data from 2008 and 2010, with a preview of 2012
* Coverage of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision and campaign finance reform
* An inside look at lobbying in the Obama Administration
* Updated tables and figures throughout
* New political ads and examples that add visual interest and encourage student engagement
"List of Tables, Figures, and Boxes Preface 1. An Introduction to Parties, Interest Groups, and Campaigns The Changing Nature of American Political Campaigns The Study of Parties, Interest Groups, and Campaigns 2. The Development of Political Parties in America The First Parties The Mass Party Era The Reform of Political Parties Party Organizations in the Modern Era Conclusion: The Changing Nature of American Political Parties 3. The Organization of Contemporary American Parties Party Activists State and Local Parties National Parties Conclusion: Contemporary Parties and the Service Party Role 4. The American Electoral System Electoral Systems Nominations The Electoral College Conclusion: The Impact of Electoral Rules 5. The American Electorate Political Participation in the United States Turnout: Who Votes? Vote Choice: How Do Voters Decide? Conclusion: The Nature of American Political Participation 6. Campaign Finance Campaign Finance and Public Decision Making Skyrocketing Campaign Costs or Underfunded Campaigns? Reform Goals and Campaign Finance Laws Campaign Finance Laws and the Courts: A Tumultuous Relationship Political Parties and Campaign Finance Law: Assessing the Impact The Rise and Impact of 501(c) and 527 Groups Public Funding and Presidential Campaigns Campaign Finance and the States Conclusion: The State of Campaign Finance 7. Campaigns and Political Parties The Purposes and Impacts of Campaigns The Changing Roles of Parties in Campaigns The Candidate: Recruitment and Motivation Campaign Organization and Management The Campaign Manager Designing the Campaign Message Transmitting the Campaign Message: The Rise of Social Media and the American Party System The Impact of Negative Campaigning Political Parties as Campaign Specialists Conclusion: A New Balance for Parties and Campaigns 8. Interest Group Politics What Causes Interest Groups to Form? Political Science and Group Theory Leadership and Interest Group Power Internal Organizational Strength and Lobbying Power The Nature of Interest Group Membership in the United States Lobbying Resources Derived from Membership Characteristics 9. Interest Groups and Campaigns The ""Total War"" Campaign of Health Care Reform Interest Groups Seek to Mold Public Opinion in Media Campaigns Grassroots Interest Group Issue Campaigns Interest Group Campaigns Against Parties and Candidates Interest Group Efforts in Party Campaigns Interest Group Campaigns in Initiatives and Referenda Conclusion: The Role of Campaigns in Linking Political Parties and Interest Groups 10. Interest Group Lobbying The Lobbying Profession The Lobbyist's Role in Political Issue Campaigns Lobbyists and Lobbying Campaign Tactics Lobby Campaigns as Information Presentations Restrictions on Lobbying in the Federal Government Judicial Lobbying Campaigns Conclusion: The Persistence of Lobbying and the Nature of American Politics Conclusion The New Nature of American Political Parties The New Nature of American Interest Group Politics Glossary References Index"
Matthew J. Burbank is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Utah. He teaches classes on American politics, elections, and research methods. Ronald J. Hrebenar is Professor of Political Science at the University of Utah. He is the author, editor, or coeditor of twelve books and more than sixty articles and chapters on interest groups, lobbying, political parties, and elections in the United States and Japan. Robert C. Benedict is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Utah, where he regularly teaches courses on American politics, public policy, and the legislative process.
