Presidential Elections: Strategies and Structures of American Politics

by Nelson W. Polsby, Aaron Wildavsky, David A. Hopkins

Brimming with data and examples from the heated 2004 election, and laced with previews of 2008, the twelfth edition of this classic text offers a complete overview of the presidential election process from the earliest straw polls and fundraisers to final voter turnout and exit interviews.

The newest edition’s comprehensive coverage includes campaign strategy with overviews of the changes in campaign finance and the growing role of the Internet. Also, the twelfth edition explores the effect of the forward-creeping presidential nomination process and the sequence of electoral events. All of these aspects and the issues themselves are discussed by a wide array of actors in the electoral voters, interest groups, political parties, the media, and the candidates themselves. The twelfth edition is a timely update to this essential text on American elections.

Genres: Politics, Political Science

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Nelson Woolf Polsby was an American political scientist. He specialized in the study of the United States presidency, the United States Congress and how governmental policies and practices evolve.

Polsby was the Heller Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He was the editor of the American Political Science Review from 1971–77 and the founding editor of the Annual Review of Political Science from 1998 until his death in 2007.

Reviews

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I taught a course on campsigns in presidential election years decades ago, this was one of my textbooks. Polsby and Wildavsky provide a nice freamwork for analyzing presidential elections. Their writing style is also accessible to undergraduate students.

The first part of the book reflects upon the "strategic environment" of presidential elections. This ioncludes such factors as voters and what motivates them, groups, the Electoral College, money, and the information environment. The next sequence of chapters looks at how candidiates strive to get nominated and--once nominated--elected. Then, the role of issues in presidential electiosn and how elections serve to affect future policy decisions.

This volume is one in a series of estimable volumes. While this is an older volume, it is a fine exemplar of the series.

[Shrut Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is updated every presidential election cycle and is a phenomenal introduction into the world of U.S. presidential elections and how candidates win (or lose). Highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to be better informed about the upcoming November elections.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good upper-level college text on the processes and politics of US presidential elections. The writing is clear and the examples are extensive enough to provide clarity to what can be abstract ideas. Topics include the primary election system, the electoral college, the management of campaigns, fund-raising, media, and polling. The appendices are also excellent, providing data on voting by various demographic measures.