Description
For courses in elections and American voting behavior, Abramson (political science, Michigan State U.) et al. evaluate the 2008 presidential and congressional elections within historical and theoretical context, arguing that the election was more about rendering judgment on George W. Bush and the Republican Party than the policies of Obama and McCain. Drawing on election results, surveys, polls, and data from American National Election Studies surveys, they examine the nomination process; election campaigns; vice presidential selection; voting behavior in the areas of turnout, social groups, issues, presidential performance and retrospective voting, and party loyalties; and outcomes, to see why the Republicans lost the majority, whether Democrats can solidify their majority, and why postwar American politics are so volatile. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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One of the first texts to make use of the 2008 National Election Study results, this new edition of Change and Continuity will put the momentous recent elections into historical context for your students. Questions considered include: What were the impact of race and gender in this election cycle? How did fundraising during the “invisible primary” shape the nomination contest? To what extent did youth participation determine the outcome of the election? What effect did new media have on the campaign and voter turnout? What role did the economic crisis play in voters’ choices? Was 2008 a year for partisan realignment of the electorate? This well-respected author team delves deeply into each area, armed with an array of thorough, yet student-friendly data, graphics, and figures. As with all books in the Change and Continuity series, the authors present election data from a variety of sources in a straightforward, accessible manner and make sure to incorporate and discuss the most recent research.
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