Parties and Elections in America: The Electoral Process - Softcover

This eighth edition of a popular political science title is an excellent textbook for an upper-division undergraduate course in parties and elections. Written by Brewer (Univ. of Maine) and Maisel (Colby College), the book offers a summary of the literature on parties and elections that is quite excellent, with generous attention to historical perspective. The data offered is very good. . . This latest edition includes coverage of the 2016 US presidential election and the first year and a half of the Donald Trump administration. Other updates include the ongoing aftermath of the 2008-09 economic crisis, the failed Arab Spring, the upsurge of populism and the fragility of democracies, and elections in Nigeria. The bibliography is generally excellent, good enough that some instructors of graduate courses may choose to use the book. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. * CHOICE * Creating a text on American political parties that is comprehensive, accessible, and lively is a major challenge. Brewer and Maisel have done an excellent job in responding to that challenge. Anyone seeking an introduction and beyond to parties and the vast number of studies about them can confidently rely on this text. -- Jeffrey M. Stonecash, Maxwell Professor of Political Science, Syracuse University This eighth edition is a welcome update of Brewer and Maisel's comprehensive, thoughtful, and accessible account of American political parties and elections, past and present. The authors carefully evaluate as well as describe the complex roles these institutions have evolved to play in our political system, with special attention to their effect on the quality of governance in the United States. -- Gary C. Jacobson, University of California, San Diego

Written in a sharp and lively manner that will interest and engage students, this classic text provides comprehensive coverage of all elements of parties and elections in the United States, including local, state, and national party organizations; American party history and party systems; state and local nominations, state and local elections, presidential nominations, and presidential elections. This new edition highlights information from the 2016 presidential election and the first year and a half of the Trump administration, while giving a practical look at elections through topics such as the media's role in politics and campaign finance. Also new to the eighth edition is coverage of the continuing fallout of the 2008-2009 worldwide economic crisis, the failed Arab Spring, the upsurge of populism and the fragility of democracies, and the Nigerian elections.