Candidates, Congress, and the American Democracy

Candidates, Congress, and the American Democracy PDF Author: Linda Fowler
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 047202261X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 239

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Book Description
In Candidates, Congress, and the American Democracy Linda L. Fowler provides a wide-ranging examination of candidacy as a source of both stability and change in U.S. politics. An expert on political candidates, she brings a novel perspective to the topic by emphasizing that candidates are necessary instruments for popular control of government. Fowler maintains that the ambitions of individual candidates are essential to the functioning of the nation's constitutional system and are important factors in its political history. She traces the influence of candidates in fostering electoral competition, promoting the representation of such newly mobilized groups of citizens as women and ethnic minorities, and transforming political institutions and parties. Despite the importance of candidacy, the institution is poorly understood because both scholars and voters tend to limit their focus on candidates to the narrow context of election campaigns. The author argues that a broader view reveals how candidates are linked to a variety of trends and contradictions in contemporary U.S. politics.

Candidates, Congress, and the American Democracy

Candidates, Congress, and the American Democracy PDF Author: Linda Fowler
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 047202261X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 239

Get Book Here

Book Description
In Candidates, Congress, and the American Democracy Linda L. Fowler provides a wide-ranging examination of candidacy as a source of both stability and change in U.S. politics. An expert on political candidates, she brings a novel perspective to the topic by emphasizing that candidates are necessary instruments for popular control of government. Fowler maintains that the ambitions of individual candidates are essential to the functioning of the nation's constitutional system and are important factors in its political history. She traces the influence of candidates in fostering electoral competition, promoting the representation of such newly mobilized groups of citizens as women and ethnic minorities, and transforming political institutions and parties. Despite the importance of candidacy, the institution is poorly understood because both scholars and voters tend to limit their focus on candidates to the narrow context of election campaigns. The author argues that a broader view reveals how candidates are linked to a variety of trends and contradictions in contemporary U.S. politics.

Political Ambition

Political Ambition PDF Author: Linda L. Fowler
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300049015
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
How do politicians decide whether or not to run for Congress? What is involved in the winnowing process that dictates, months before the election, the choices available to voters on the ballot? Using extensive interviews and analyses of district data and opinion polls, Linda Fowler and Robert McClure argue that House elections are intelligible only if we look beyond that declared candidates to those who could have run but chose not to. Their book, set in New York’s can Congressional District during the elections of 1984 and 1986, assesses the personal and contextual factors that motivate some individuals to enter a House race and induce others to remain on the sidelines. By uncovering the hidden obstacles that line the road to Washington, Fowler and McClure reveal why only the most ambitious men and women complete the journey. Fowler and McClure contend that the cost cna complexity of competitive House races now demand a level of commitment and advance planning that only those with a highly focused desire to serve in Congress can sustain. Despite the increased presence of national parties and PACs in congressional races, they say, it is the local political context that dominates the decision to run. Within this setting, individual candidates, not party organizations develop the strategies, manage the resources, and define the alternatives in most House races. Fowler and McClure discuss how changes in American politics such as reapportionment, the redistribution of power away from Washington, and the transformation of parties and interest groups affect the nation's supply of competitive office-seekers. And they devote special attention to the recruitment of female legislators, offering insight into the continued failure of women to make significant inroads into the House of Representatives.

Campaigns and Elections American Style

Campaigns and Elections American Style PDF Author: Candice J. Nelson
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000937763
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 303

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Book Description
With new and revised chapters throughout, the sixth edition of Campaigns and Elections American Style allows academics and campaign professionals the chance to explain how the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 general election, and 2022 midterm election upended the campaign process and changed the landscape of political campaigns forever. Offering a unique and careful mix of Democrat and Republican, academic and practitioner, and male and female campaign perspectives, this volume scrutinizes national and local-level campaigns. Students, citizens, candidates, and campaign managers learn not only how to win elections but also why it is imperative to do so in a safe and ethical way. Perfect for a variety of courses in American government, this book is especially valuable to schools of campaign management and campaign professionals working at every level from the local to the global. Highlights of the Sixth Edition Covers the 2020 and 2022 elections with an eye to 2024. Examines changes to the campaign process as a result of COVID-19 and puts them in context with campaign traditions over time. Includes a new organization that moves campaign finance up front to emphasize the centrality of fundraising to successful campaigns. Offers more data to inform campaign planning and management, especially related to key topics such as the change in news media coverage, the growth and use of social media, the use of "big data" in campaigns, and changes in field and voting rules and policies.

Too Young to Run?

Too Young to Run? PDF Author: John Evan Seery
Publisher: Penn State Press
ISBN: 0271048530
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 202

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Book Description
"Examines the history, theory, and politics behind the age qualifications for elected federal office in the United States Constitution. Argues that the right to run for office ought to be extended to all adult-age citizens who are otherwise office-eligible"--Provided by publisher.

Running Scared

Running Scared PDF Author: Anthony King
Publisher: Free Press
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
A hard-hitting book, this work is a penetrating and provocative look at the American political scene. Succumbing to the pressure of the permanent campaign, King argues that our politicians have become vulnerable. Thus, all major policies and all the major features of our system have fallen profoundly under the sway of this vulnerability.

The Politics of Congressional Elections

The Politics of Congressional Elections PDF Author: Gary C. Jacobson
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1538123428
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 377

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Book Description
Jacobson and Carson provide students with a comprehensive introduction to congressional elections and the electoral process. The tenth edition offers an engaging examination of congressional candidates, campaigns, and elections by incorporating coverage of the most recent elections and the changing roles of voters, incumbents, challengers, and campaign contributions. It examines the first two years of the Trump presidency and its impact on the 2018 midterms with respect to the large number of female candidates running for office and the enormous amounts of money spent by challengers. This edition also highlights the referendum narrative underlying the election in response to behavior and events in the Trump administration. By pairing historical data analysis and original research with fundamental concepts of representation and responsibility, The Politics of Congressional Elections presents students with the tools to evaluate representative government, as well as their own role in the electoral process.

Women as Candidates in American Politics

Women as Candidates in American Politics PDF Author: Susan J. Carroll
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN: 9780253313195
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
In this second edition, Susan Carroll updates her pioneering study of women candidates and their campaigns in the aftermath of the "Year of the Woman." Although in many regards the political climate has become vastly more favorable for female candidates, opportunities are still limited by the political structure. Carroll examines a number of possible reforms and actual developments which may eventually mean larger numbers of women being elected to public office.

Breaking the Political Glass Ceiling

Breaking the Political Glass Ceiling PDF Author: Barbara Palmer
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135891753
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
Why has the integration of women into Congress been so slow? Is there a "political glass ceiling" for women? Although women use the same strategic calculations as men to decide when to run, the decision regarding where to run is something else. While redistricting has increasingly protected incumbents, it also has the unintended consequence of shaping the opportunities for female candidates. The political geography and socio-economic profile of districts that elect women differ substantially from districts that elect men. With data on over 10,000 elections and 30,000 candidates from 1916 to the present, Palmer and Simon explore how strategy and the power of incumbency affect women’s decisions to run for office. Breaking the Political Glass Ceiling is the most comprehensive analysis of women in congressional elections available. The Second Edition is fully updated to reflect the pivotal 2006 mid-term elections, including Nancy Pelosi’s rise to Speaker of the House, Hillary Clinton’s bid for the presidency, and a record number of women serving as committee chairs. Additionally, the authors have created a website, found at politicsandwomen.com, to highlight key features of the book and provide updates throughout the election cycle.

Competitive Elections and Democracy in America

Competitive Elections and Democracy in America PDF Author: Heather K. Evans
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136214259
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 143

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Book Description
Competition seems to be an inevitable part of present-day elections in the United States. However, recent publications have debated whether we should encourage or discourage competitive elections. In Competitive Elections and Democracy in America, Heather Evans closely examines the debate over competition in elections and questions whether or not they are beneficial for democracy in the US. Evans clearly lays out the basis of the debate over competition and defines what exactly constitutes a competitive election. She then uses an innovative data set that she assembled to analyze the 2006-2010 congressional elections, testing whether the competitiveness of an election affects citizens’ political knowledge, political interest, and opinions of Congress, their representatives, and the governmental system as a whole. She subsequently evaluates the positive effects that competitive elections have on constituencies, and in turn gives equal weight to the negative effects. An examination of the effects "ugly" campaigns have on voters is also incorporated, relevant to today’s oft-used "mud-slinging" campaign tactics. Evans concludes with a thoughtful and analytical assessment of whether competition is valuable for elections, and how to increase competition if it indeed has merit for political campaigns. Through the book’s analyses, Evans demonstrates that competitive elections do have lasting effects on voters that go beyond just the length of a campaign. Her research reinforces the vital role that political competition plays in modern democracies, and offers a careful evaluation of how and why competitive elections affect citizens in the US.

Strengthening American Democracy

Strengthening American Democracy PDF Author: John R. Baker
Publisher: Broadview Press
ISBN: 1770489622
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 194

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Book Description
Many experts have observed a world-wide trend toward “democratic deconsolidation,” reflected in America through declining trust in government at all levels and the rise of authoritarian thinking. The trend is rooted in extreme partisan polarization, which serves as fertile soil for the rise of anti-democratic movements and tendencies. This book aims to combat that disturbing trajectory, offering readers the tools to engage in and aspire toward a more responsive and accountable democracy. Its 46 brief and accessible articles outline a number of institutional, structural, process-oriented, and policy-related challenges to American democracy. In most cases, specific proposals for reform are discussed, encouraging the reader to think about how to make tangible progress toward a “more perfect Union.”