Parties, Politics, and Public Policy in

A comprehensive survey of U.S. political parties: their form, their function, and their present state of health. In this latest edition, Keefe provides a clear understanding of how and why present-day parties function as they do. He gives extensive coverage to the parties' role in the electoral process including the primaries, candidate finance, and voting behavior. Keefe also evaluates the changing nature of party coalitions, party ideologies, interest groups, and heightened popular skepticism toward government, politics, and politicians.

Tables and Figures

xi

(6)

Preface

xvii

Chapter One Political Parties and the Political System

1

(39)

The Parties and Their Environment

2

(16)

Party Organization

18

(10)

The Activities of Parties

28

(12)

Chapter Two The Characteristics of American Parties

40

(40)

The Primary Characteristic: Dispersed Power

40

(7)

Law and the Parties

47

(2)

Variations in Party Competition from State to State and from Office to Office

49

(12)

Parties as Coalitions

61

(6)

Parties of Ideological Heterogeneity

67

(2)

Parties of Moderation and Inclusivity

69

(3)

The Party as an Interest Group

72

(1)

The Ambiguity of Party Membership

73

(1)

The Indomitable Party?

74

(6)

Chapter Three Political Parties and the Electoral Process: Nominations

80

(48)

Nominating Methods

80

(3)

Types of Primaries

83

(4)

An Overview of the Primary

87

(2)

The National Convention

89

(10)

Evaluating Presidential Primary and Caucus-Convention Systems

99

(11)

The Politics of the Convention

110

(6)

A National Primary? Regional Primaries?

116

(2)

The Media, the Presidential Nominating Process, and the Parties

118

(10)

Chapter Four Political Parties and the Electoral Process: Campaigns and Campaign Finance

128

(44)

Campaign Organization

129

(2)

Campaign Strategy

131

(8)

Campaign Money

139

(14)

The Regulation of Campaign Finance

153

(19)

Chapter Five Political Parties and the Electorate

172

(46)

Turnout: The Diminished Electorate

173

(10)

The Regulation of Voting

183

(3)

Forms of Political Participation

186

(8)

Party Identification in the Electorate

194

(13)

The Voting Behavior of Social Groups

207

(11)

Chapter Six The Congressional Party and the Formation of Public Policy

218

(44)

Congressional Elections

219

(1)

Party Representation in Congress

220

(3)

Party Organization in Congress

223

(13)

National Party Agencies and the Congressional Parties

236

(2)

Do the Parties Differ on Public Policies?

238

(8)

The President and the Congressional Party

246

(7)

The Party in Congress: Unfavorable Odds

253

(9)

Chapter Seven The American Party System: Problems and Perspectives

262

(55)

The Doctrine of Responsible Parties

262

(7)

Responsible Parties and Party Reform

269

(4)

Trends in American Politics

273

(30)

The Prospects

303

(14)

Index

317

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Parties, Politics, and Public Policy in America

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials