For Better or Worse? : How Political Consultants Are Changing Elections in the United States

Investigates the effects of political consultants on American democracy. For Better or Worse? 2 Contents 8 Illustrations 10 Tables 12 Preface 16 1. Introduction 20 2. Consultants Enter the Electioneering Mix 32 3. Who are these Guys Anyway? 60 4. Electoral Connections: Consultants, Candidates, Voters, and the Press 84 5. Party Favors? Have Consultants Replaced Political Parties? 120 6. Consultants’ Effects on Candidate Fund-raising and Electoral Success 154 7. For Better or Worse - What Hath the Consultants Wrought? 186 Appendix 1: Consultants Survey Sampling Procedures 206 Appendix 2: Political Consultants Survey Questionnaire 210 Appendix 3: Follow-up Survey to Determine Effective and Well-known Consultants 228 Appendix 4: First-Stage Regressions and Supplemental Analyses for Models in Chapter 6 236 Appendix 5: Additional Model Specifications for Tables 6.3–6.5 248 Notes 254 Chapter 1 254 Chapter 2 256 Chapter 3 260 Chapter 4 262 Chapter 5 267 Chapter 6 271 Chapter 7 278 Bibliography 280 Index 300 A 300 B 300 C 301 D 303 E 303 F 304 G 304 H 304 I 305 J 305 K 305 L 305 M 305 N 306 O 306 P 306 R 307 S 307 T 308 U 308 V 308 W 308 Y 308 Z 308 For Better or Worse? offers a fresh look at how professional campaign consultants have both positive and negative effects on democracy in the United States. Questioning much of the prevailing conventional wisdom, David A. Dulio employs a unique set of data that empirically examines consultants' own attitudes and beliefs to evaluate where they stand in modern democratic elections. Furthermore, he explores their relationships with candidates, voters, political parties, and the media, revealing that political consultants play an integral role in U.S. elections.

Author Biography: David A. Dulio is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Oakland University. He is the coeditor (with James A. Thurber and Candice J. Nelson) of Crowded Airwaves: Campaign Advertising in Elections and (with Candice J. Nelson and Stephen K. Medvic) of Shades of Gray: Perspectives on Campaign Ethics.

"For Better or Worse? offers a fresh look at how professional campaign consultants have both positive and negative effects on democracy in the United States. Questioning much of the previailing conventional wisdom, David A. Dulio employs a unique set of data that empirically examines consultants' own attitudes and beliefs to evaluate where they stand in modern democratic elections. Furthermore, he explores their relationships with candidates, voters, political parties, and the media, revealing that political consultants play an integral role in U.S. elections David A. Dulio. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 261-278) And Index.