Political Behavior of the American Electorate - Fourteenth Edition

Incorporating the results of the 2012 presidential and congressional elections, this text discusses the implications of US homeland security and the war on terror on the electorate and pays increased attention to polarisation and ideology, as well as presenting and exploring new data. The 2016 elections took place under intense political polarization and uncertain economic conditions, to widely unexpected results. How did Trump pull off his victory? Political Behavior of the American Electorate, Fourteenth Edition, attempts to answer this question by interpreting data from the most recent American National Election Study to provide a thorough analysis of the 2016 elections and the current American political behavior. Authors Elizabeth Theiss-Morse and Michael Wagner continue the tradition of Flanigan and Zingale to illustrate and document trends in American political behavior with the best longitudinal data available. The authors also put these trends in context by focusing on the major concepts and characteristics that shape Americans' responses to politics. In the completely revised Fourteenth Edition, you will explore get-out-the-vote efforts and the reasons people voted the way they did, as well as the nature and impact of partisanship, news media coverage, and other issues in 2016-all with an eye toward understanding the trends that led up to the historic decision Tables and Figures Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1 Democratic Beliefs and American Democracy Trust in Government Attitudes toward Democracy What Leads to Democratic Beliefs and Values? Maintaining a Democracy Notes Suggested Readings Internet Resources Chapter 2 Electoral Context and Strategy The Fundamentals The Rules of the Game Strategy The Unexpected Understanding Fundamentals and Winning Elections Notes Suggested Readings Chapter 3 Turnout and Participation in Elections Turnout in American Elections Voters and Nonvoters Institutional Impediments to Turnout Psychological Motivation, Genetics, and Turnout Campaign Activity and Mobilization in American Elections Participation in Campaigns Notes Suggested Readings Internet Resources Chapter 4 Partisanship and Party Change Party Loyalty Party Identification Voting Behavior Are Independents Apolitical? Partisans and Electoral Change Party Systems and Realignments Are Conditions Right for a Realignment? Partisan Change Affective Partisanship The Future of Parties and Partisanship Notes Suggested Readings Chapter 5 Group Characteristics and Social Networks Primary Groups and Social Networks Group Identity and Partisanship Social Cross-Pressures Notes Suggested Readings Internet Resources Chapter 6 Public Opinion and Ideology The Measurement of Public Opinion Domestic Economic Issues Racial Issues Social Issues Homeland Security and Terrorism International Affairs Nationalism and the 2016 Election Issues and Partisanship Political Ideology Public Opinion and Political Leadership Notes Suggested Readings Internet Resources Chapter 7 Political Communication and the Mass Media Functions of the News Media Types of Media and Their Users Media Bias and Audience Bias Media Coverage and the Public Agenda Political Communication and Polarization Social Media and Contemporary Politics Political Communication and Attitude Change Campaigns and Political Communication Presidential Primary Campaigns Conclusion Notes Suggested Readings Internet Resources Chapter 8 Vote Choice and Electoral Decisions Social Characteristics and Presidential Vote Choice Partisanship and Ideology Short-Term Forces Determinants of Vote Choice The Popular Vote and the Electoral College Vote Choice in Other Types of Elections The Meaning of an Election Notes Suggested Readings Internet Resources Appendix: Survey Research Methods Survey Data Collection Validity of Survey Questions Validity versus Continuity Notes Suggested Readings Internet Resources Index The 2016 U.S. elections took place under intense political polarization and uncertain economic conditions, to widely unexpected results. How did Trump pull off his victory? Political Behavior of the American Electorate, Fourteenth Edition, attempts to answer this question by interpreting data from the most recent American National Election Study to provide a thorough analysis of the 2016 elections and current American political behavior. Authors Elizabeth A. Theiss-Morse and Michael W. Wagner continue the tradition of Flanigan and Zingale to illustrate and document trends in American political behavior with the best longitudinal data available. The authors put these trends in context by focusing on the major concepts and characteristics that shape Americans' responses to politics. In the completely revised Fourteenth Edition, readers will explore get-out-the-vote efforts and the reasons people voted the way they did, as well as the nature and impact of partisanship, news media coverage, and other issues in 2016--all with an eye toward understanding the trends that led up to the historic decision--back cover