Political Behavior of the American Electorate

Elizabeth Theiss-Morse is the Willa Cather Professor of Political Science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is the author of several award-winning books including Who Counts as an American?, Stealth Democracy, Congress as Public Enemy, and With Malice Toward Some. Michael W. Wagner is assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. There, he is also the Louis A. Maier Faculty Development Fellow and holds an affiliated position in the Department of Political Science. He has won awards for his teaching and scholarship in the area of political communication in American politics. William H. Flanigan is professor emeritus of political science at the University of Minnesota. He is the coeditor (With Joel H. Silbey and Allan G. Bogue) of The History of American Electoral Behavior. With Jerome M. Clubb and Nancy H. Zingale, he coauthored Partisan Realignment: Voters, Parties and Government in American History and coedited Analyzing Electoral History: A Guide to the Study of American Voter Behavior. Nancy H. Zingale is professor emerita of political science at the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota). With Jerome M. Clubb and William H. Flanigan, she coauthored Partisan Realignment: Voters, Parties and Government in American History and coedited Analyzing Electoral History: A Guide to the Study of American Voter Behavior.

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