The State of the Parties: The Changing Role of Contemporary American Parties (People, Passions, and Power: Social Movements, Interest Organizations, and the P) - Hardcover

To keep up with American democracy, you must still keep up with the political parties. This anthology will help both undergraduates and graduate students understand the changing dynamics of the engines of political change-the parties. From Perot to party leadership, from campaign finance to national party committees, it's all here in a well edited volume. -- Larry J. Sabato, director, University of Virginia Center for Politics and author of The Kenneday Half-Century This is a stimulating anthology, with a wealth of new material on the activities of the political parties. People who think our political parties are dead should read this book. It reveals new evidence of party vitality and points to new directions for future research. And, this will be a valuable supplemental text for courses on American political parties. -- Samuel C. Patterson This collection of studies by distinguished and emerging scholars provides a wealth of up-to-date information and provocative insights concerning the status, activities, impact, and changing character of political parties. It should be read by every serious student of party organizations. -- John F. Bibby, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Overall, the anthology successfully analyses the organizational dimension of US parties and therefore is well worth readinggggg * Political Studies Review * With skill and care, along with the able assistance of many prominent scholars in the field, Shea and Green have dissected the American party system and produced several interesting findings . . . belongs on the bookshelf of anyone interested in contemporary U.S. politics. -- John Kenneth White, Catholic University of America Overall, the anthology successfully analyses the organizational dimension of US parties and therefore is well worth reading * Political Studies Review *

This volume provides students of political parties with up-to-date information on both the state of American party organizations and controversies over how these organizations are studied. The collection focuses on new direction in party scholarship-including debates over the vitality and relevance of the two party system, the analytical usefulness of the traditional model of American parties, and the import of organizational studies.