The State of the Parties 2018

The State of the Parties 2018brings together leading scholars of parties, elections, and interest groups to provide an indispensable overview of American political parties today. The 2016 presidential election was extraordinary, especially the unexpected nomination and election of Donald Trump to the White House. What role did political parties play in these events? How did the party organizations fare? What are the implications for the future? Scholars and practitioners from throughout the United States explore the current state of American party organizations, constituencies and resources at the national, state and local level.

Contributions by Alan Abramowitz, Joseph Anthony, Julia R. Azari, Paul A. Beck, Edward G. Carmines, Tyler Chance, Daniel J. Coffey, David B. Cohen, Diana Dwyre, Michael J. Ensley, John C. Green, Richard Gunther, Jennifer A. Heerwig, Paul S. Herrnson, Caitlin E. Jewitt, David C. Kimball, Robin Kolodny, Drew Kurlowski, Seth Masket, Erik C. Nisbet, Sam Rosenfeld, Daniel Schlozman, Mildred A. Schwartz, Daniel M. Shea, Doug Spencer, Wayne Steger, Jeffrey M. Stonecash, Eric C. Vorst, Michael W. Wagner, and Steven W. Webster.

John C. Green is Distinguished Professor of Political Science and director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at The University of Akron.Daniel J. Coffey is associate professor of political science at The University of Akron and a fellow in the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics. He has published in State Politics and Policy Quarterly. He studies political parties, public opinion, state and local politics, campaigns and elections, and research methods.David B. Cohen is professor of political science and fellow in the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at The University of Akron.

List of Tables

List of Figures

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1. The State of the Parties: Change and Continuity in 2016, byDaniel J. Coffey, David B. Cohen, and John C. Green

Part One: State of the Parties

Chapter 2. Failing Party Organizations: Lessons from the 2016 Election, byMildred A. Schwartz

Chapter 3. Party Blobs and Partisan Visions: Making Sense of our Hollow Parties, byDaniel Schlozman and Sam Rosenfeld

Chapter 4. Saving Democracy from Elections?, byDaniel M. Shea

Part Two: Party Activists

Chapter 5. The Power of a Narrative: Donald Trump (and the Republicans), byJeffrey M. Stonecash

Chapter 6. The Mandate of the People: The 2016 Sanders Campaign in Context, byJulia Azari and Seth Masket

Chapter 7. State Party Activism in 2016, byDaniel J. Coffey

Chapter 8. #Polarized2016: Affective Campaign Rhetoric and Mass Polarization in Social Media, byEric C. Vorst

Part Three: Party Nominations

Chapter 9. The State of the Primaries 2016, byDrew Kurlowski

Chapter 10. Perception of the Parties and the 2016 Presidential Nominations, byCaitlin E. Jewitt

Chapter 11. Populist Waves in the 2016 Presidential Nominations: Another Limit to the Party Decides Thesis, byWayne Steger

Part Four: Party in Electorate

Chapter 12. Political Identity and Party Polarization in the American Electorate, byDavid C. Kimball, Joseph Anthony, and Tyler Chance

Chapter 13. The Angry American Voter: Negative Partisanship, Voter Anger, and the 2016 Presidential Election, byAlan I. Abramowitz and Steven W. Webster

Chapter 14. The Role of the Populists in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election and Beyond, byEdward G. Carmines, Michael J. Ensley, and Michael W. Wagner

Part Five: Party Resources

Chapter 15. The 2016 Money Race: The Limits of Campaign Money, and the Nature of Popular Love for the Presidential Candidates, byRobin Kolodny

Chapter 16. Everything is Relative: Are Political Parties Playing a Meaningful Campaign Finance Role in the U.S. Federal Elections?, byDiana Dwyre

Chapter 17. The Impact of Organization Characteristics on Super PAC Financing, byPaul S. Herrnson, Jennifer A. Heerwig, and Douglas M. Spencer

Chapter 18. What Happened to the Ground Game in 2016?, byPaul A. Beck, Richard Gunther, and Erik Nisbet

References

Index

About the Contributors