Dancing without Partners: How Candidates, Parties, and Interest Groups Interact in the Presidential Campaign

(Paperback)

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Description

Political parties, interest groups, and candidate campaigns all pursue similar goals in presidential elections: each entity attempts to mobilize voters. However, the regulatory environment often prevents these groups from coordinating their efforts. With participants playing by new rules mandated by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, the 2004 presidential election included previously unseen configurations and alliances between political actors. In some campaign situations, the resulting "dance" was carefully choreographed. In others, dancers stepped on each other's toes. In still others, participants could only eye each other across the floor.

Dancing without Partners intensively analyzes the relationships among candidates, political parties, and interest groups under the BCRA's new regulations in the 2004 election cycle in five battleground states. The chapters assess the ways in which the rules of the game have changed the game itselfand also how they haven't. The result is a book that will be invaluable to researchers and students of presidential elections.

Reviews

This excellent collection of fresh analysis by leading scholars of American campaigns and elections provides an in-depth evaluation of the effects of campaign strategy, campaign finance, and the BCRA on the 2004 election. This book should be read by university students, academics, candidates, and voters of all stripes. -- James A. Thurber, Distinguished Professor, American University
Recommended. * Choice Reviews *
Magleby, Monson, and Patterson's collection of essays on the ways in which interest groups, parties and candidate campaigns interact in the current electoral context is indispensable reading for any scholar studying modern elections and perfect for any class on Parties and Elections. -- L Sandy Maisel, Director, Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement, Colby College

Author Bio

David B. Magleby is dean of the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences, and distinguished professor of political science at Brigham Young University. J. Quin Monson is assistant professor of political science and assistant director of the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at Brigham Young University. Kelly Patterson is associate professor of political science and director of the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at Brigham Young University.