Party Organization and Activism in the American South Party Organization and Activism in the American South Party Organization and Activism in the American South

These new essays map the ways political parties remain vital components in the American political system, especially in the eleven states in the South.As Tocqueville noted more than 100 years ago, "No countries need associations more . . . than those with a democratic social state." Although some contemporary observers see a decline in associations, especially in the political sphere, the contributors in this volume argue not only that political parties remain an essential component of the American political system but also that grassroots political groups have revitalized the political process, especially in the South.Using data gathered from local party officials in the eleven southern states, the authors examine such key issues as: Who becomes involved in local party organizations and why? How do parties recruit and retain workers? What are the ideological and issue orientations of these activists? How does intraparty factionalism affect local party organizations? What is the connection between the party organization and its external environment?The large regional database provides these contributors with the opportunity to extend the study of local party organization and activists, thus addressing some of the significant gaps in previous research. The additional data enable them to clarify the nature of local party organizations and, in a larger sense, the role of the parties in the contemporary American political system. Much Of The Recent Scholarship About American Political Parties Has Attempted To Assess The Condition Of The Party System. Are Parties Becoming Increasingly Obsolete? Have They Forfeited The Functions They Traditionally Performed? Or Have They Adopted A Different Role In The Political System Such That Their Achievements Have Gone Unrecognized? In Short, Are American Political Parties In Decline, Resurgence, Or What?--book Jacket. Using Information Gathered From Local Party Officials In The Eleven Southern States, The Authors Examine Such Key Data As Who Becomes Involved In Local Party Organizations And Why; How Parties Recruit And Retain Workers; What Ideological And Issue Orientations Motivate These Activists; How Intraparty Factionalism Affects Local Party Organizations; And What Connection Exists Between The Party Organization And Its External Environment.--book Jacket. Introduction : Local Political Parties And Party Scholarship / John A. Clark [and Others] -- Recruiting Activists / William E. Hulbary And Lewis Bowman -- Activists' Incentives / Stephen D. Shaffer And David A. Breaux -- Purist Versus Pragmatic Orientations / Charles Prysby -- Ambition And Local Party Activists / Robert P. Steed, Laurence W. Moreland, And Tod A. Baker -- Parties, Ideology, And Issues : The Structuring Of Political Conflict / Robert P. Steed -- Party Maintenance Activities / Frank B. Feigert And John R. Todd -- Campaign Activities / John A. Clark, Brad Lockerbie, And Peter W. Wielhouwer -- Communication Patterns / David Brodsky And Simeon Brodsky -- Factions In The Politics Of The New South / John Mcglennon -- Mass/elite Linkage / David Breaux, Stephen D. Shaffer, And Patrick Cotter -- Strength Of Party Attachment / Robert P. Steed And Lewis Bowman -- Party Activists As Agents Of Change : Women, Blacks, And Political Parties In The South / Rosalee A. Clawson And John A. Clark -- Summing Up : Organization And Activism At The Grassroots Level In The 1990s / Lewis Bowman, John A. Clark, And Robert P. Steed. Edited By Robert P. Steed ... [et Al.]. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [239]-255) And Index. Maps the ways political parties remain vital components in the American political system, especially in the eleven states in the South As Tocqueville noted more than 100 years ago, “No countries need associations more... than those with a democratic social state.” Although some contemporary observers see a decline in associations, especially in the political sphere, the contributors in this volume argue not only that political parties remain an essential component of the American political system but also that grassroots political groups have revitalized the political process, especially in the South. Using data gathered from local party officials in the eleven southern states, the authors examine such key issues as: Who becomes involved in local party organizations and why? How do parties recruit and retain workers? What are the ideological and issue orientations of these activists? How does intraparty factionalism affect local party organizations? What is the connection between the party organization and its external environment? The large regional database provides these contributors with the opportunity to extend the study of local party organization and activists, thus addressing some of the significant gaps in previous research. The additional data enable them to clarify the nature of local party organizations and, in a larger sense, the role of the parties in the contemporary American political system.