Polsby and Wildavsky's classic text, now updated by Stephen Schier and David Hopkins, argues that the institutional rules of the presidential nomination and election processes, in combination with the behavior of the mass electorate, structure the strategic choices faced by politicians in powerful and foreseeable ways. We can make sense of the decisions made by different political actors-incumbents, challengers, Democrats, Republicans, consultants, party officials, activists, delegates, journalists, and voters-by understanding the ways in which their world is organized by incentives, regulations, events, resources, customs, and opportunities. Thoroughly revised and updated, this Sixteenth Edition provides everything students need to know about presidential elections going into the 2024 cycle.
Steven E. Schier is Dorothy H. and Edward C. Congdon Professor of Political Science Emeritus at Carleton College. He is the author or editor of 23 books including The Trump Effect: Disruption and Its Consequences in US Politics and Government and Polarized: The Rise of Ideology in American Politics, both with R&L. David A. Hopkins is associate professor of political science at Boston College. He is the author of Red Fighting Blue: How Geography and Electoral Rules Polarize American Politics (Cambridge University Press), and Asymmetric Politics: Ideological Republicans and Group Interest Democrats (Oxford University Press). His political analysis has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Vox, and he is a contributing columnist at Bloomberg Opinion. Nelson W. Polsby was Heller Professor of Political Science and past Director of the Institute of Governmental Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where he taught American politics for forty years. Aaron Wildavsky was Class of 1940 Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and founding dean of Berkeley's Graduate (now Goldman) School of Public Policy.
List of Figures, Tables, and Boxes Preface PART I. THE STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT 1. VOTERS Why People Don't Vote Why People Do Vote: A Theory of Social Connectedness Party Identification as Social Identity Parties as Aggregates of Loyal Voters Ideologies, Issues, and National Conditions in the Minds of Voters Changes in Party Identification: Social Habit versus Contemporary Evaluation A Central Strategic Problem: The Attentiveness of Voters 2. GROUPS The Presidential Vote as an Aggregation of Interest Groups Variations among Interest Groups "Special" Interests, Campaign Spending, and Public Interest Groups Political Parties as Organizations Third Parties 3. RULES AND RESOURCES Rules: The Electoral College Thinking About Resources Resources: Money Resources: Control over Information Incumbency as a Resource: The Presidency Incumbency as a Liability: The Vice Presidency The Balance of Resources PART II. SEQUENCES 4. THE NOMINATION PROCESS Before the Voting Begins: The "Invisible Primary" The Early States What Do These Historical Vignettes Teach? Super Tuesday and Later Primaries State and Territorial Caucuses Delegate Allocation Superdelegates An Ever-Changing Nomination Process The National Party Conventions The Convention as Advertising The Vice Presidential Nominee The Future of National Conventions 5. THE CAMPAIGN The Well-Traveled Candidates Persuading Voters Winning the Media Game Campaign Professionals Televised Debates Getting Out the Vote Campaign Blunders Forecasting the Outcome Counting the Vote PART III. ISSUES 6. APPRAISALS Reform upon Reform The Political Theory of Policy Government Reform by Means of Participatory Democracy Some Specific Reforms Party Platforms and Party Differences 7. AMERICAN PARTIES AND DEMOCRACY Elections and Public Policy Parties of Advocacy versus Parties of Intermediation APPENDIXES A. Vote by Groups in Presidential Elections, 1984-2020 B. Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections, by Population Characteristics, 1984-2020 C. Selections from the Democratic and Republican Party Platforms, 2020 Notes Index
