Party pursuits and the presidential-house election connection, 1900-2008

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Bibliographic Information

Party pursuits and the presidential-house election connection, 1900-2008

Jeffrey M. Stonecash

Cambridge University Press, 2013

  • : pbk
  • : hbk

Available at  / 7 libraries

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Note

Bibliography: p. 193-218

Includes index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

This study proposes and assesses an alternative explanation of the changes in the relationship between presidential and House of Representatives election results during the last century. Jeffrey M. Stonecash argues that the separation of presidential and House election results that occurred from the 1960s to 1980 was a party-driven process, with both parties seeking to change their electoral base. Republicans sought a more conservative electoral base to counter what they saw as disturbing liberal trends in the nation. Democrats sought to reduce their reliance on the South and its conservativism. Presidential and House election results changed at different rates, creating an appearance that they were unconnected, but they eventually came together. Although many saw these changes in election results as evidence of parties' decline, this study reaffirms their position as central actors in bringing about change.

Table of Contents

  • Part I. Election Patterns and Interpretive Frameworks: 1. Disconnecting and reconnecting presidential-House election results
  • 2. The study of presidential-House elections
  • 3. Reconsidering conclusions: a critique
  • 4. Explaining change: the role of party pursuits
  • Part II. Explaining a Changing Relationship: 5. The Democratic pursuit of the North
  • 6. Expanding the Democratic base
  • 7. Republican and Democratic pursuits of new constituents
  • 8. The consequences of changing electoral bases
  • 9. Regional patterns of change
  • 10. Realignment and converging election results
  • 11. Party pursuits and American democracy
  • Appendix I. Presidential-House election data by House districts
  • Appendix II. The presidential-House relationship and uncontested House races
  • Appendix III. Alternative explanations of change.

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