Campaigns and Elections American Style (Transforming American Politics) - Softcover

"Campaigns and Elections American Style combines penetrating analysis from top scholars with inside insights from some of the top campaign practitioners in the country. That combination of perspectives makes it a terrific, must-read resource for scholars and students alike." --Norman Ornstein, American Enterprise Institute "Campaigns are big business, and this book tells candidates, students, and citizens how they are run in the 21st century. Two of the premier experts in American politics, Jim Thurber and Candice Nelson, have brought together a top-notch group of specialists in strategy, polling, advertising, new media, fieldwork and fundraising. This up-to-date volume is perfect for college courses in parties and elections." --Larry J. Sabato, University of Virginia; author of The Year of Obama "James Thurber and Candice Nelson and their team of experienced consultants and respected academic collaborators help us understand the strategy and outcome of the 2008 elections. Campaigns and Elections American Style is 'state of the art' in its coverage of such topics as blogs, social networks, polling, internet fundraising, messaging, and mobilization, among others. The book demonstrates that consultants and academics can complement each other in informing a broader audience." --David B. Magleby, Brigham Young University ""Campaigns and Elections American Style" combines penetrating analysis from top scholars with inside insights from some of the top campaign practitioners in the country. That combination of perspectives makes it a terrific, must-read resource for scholars and students alike." --Norman Ornstein, American Enterprise Institute "Campaigns are big business, and this book tells candidates, students, and citizens how they are run in the 21st century. Two of the premier experts in American politics, Jim Thurber and Candice Nelson, have brought together a top-notch group of specialists in strategy, polling, advertising, new media, fieldwork and fundraising. This up-to-date volume is perfect for college courses in parties and elections." --Larry J. Sabato, University of Virginia; author of "The Year of Obama" "James Thurber and Candice Nelson and their team of experienced consultants and respected academic collaborators help us understand the strategy and outcome of the 2008 elections. "Campaigns and Elections American Style" is 'state of the art' in its coverage of such topics as blogs, social networks, polling, internet fundraising, messaging, and mobilization, among others. The book demonstrates that consultants and academics can complement each other in informing a broader audience." --David B. Magleby, Brigham Young University "Informative, comprehensive, and, most importantly, accessible, the third edition of "Campaigns and Elections American Style" provides an up-to-date, realistic view on the evolution of American electoral politics. Students will like this book and benefit from it." --Stephen J. Wayne, Georgetown University Praise for Previous Editions: "An innovative and highly informative contribution to the understanding of American politics. For the general reader, for the campaign professional, and for academic researchers seeking accessible and new information, this book provides superb analysis from those who work in the political trenches and those who spend their lives studying the process." --Thomas B. Edsall, "Washington Post," and author of "The New Politics of Inequality, Power and Money." "Until now, academic political theory and practical campaign experience might as well have existed on different planets. But James Thurber and Candice Nelson have managed to combine the best of both worlds into a text that will be hugely useful to campaign professionals, theorists, students, and political junkies alike." --Dan Schnur, University of California, Berkeley ""Campaigns and Elections American Style"combines penetrating analysis from top scholars with inside insights from some of the top campaign practitioners in the country. That combination of perspectives makes it a terrific, must-read resource for scholars and students alike." --Norman Ornstein, American Enterprise Institute "Campaigns are big business, and this book tells candidates, students, and citizens how they are run in the 21st century. Two of the premier experts in American politics, Jim Thurber and Candice Nelson, have brought together a top-notch group of specialists in strategy, polling, advertising, new media, fieldwork and fundraising. This up-to-date volume is perfect for college courses in parties and elections." --Larry J. Sabato, University of Virginia; author of"The Year of Obama" "James Thurber and Candice Nelson and their team of experienced consultants and respected academic collaborators help us understand the strategy and outcome of the 2008 e

With new and revised essays throughout, this book provides a thorough education in practical campaign politics. Academics and campaign professionals describe the innovation and reality of election campaigns as they have evolved over time to culminate in the phenomena of bus tours, talk radio, infomercials, focus groups, and the Internet. The third edition details how campaign themes and strategies are set and communicated; how advanced campaign tactics are used; why mobilizing volunteers is essential; why early campaign money is worth more; how to get media coverage without paying for it; and how to use focus groups, survey research, and media to win elections. Offering a unique and careful mix of Democrat and Republican, academic and practitioner, and male and female campaign perspectives, this volume scrutinizes national- and local-level campaigns through the 2000 and 2008 election cycles. Students, citizens, candidates, and campaign managers will learn not only how to win elections but also why it has become imperative to do so in an ethical way. Perfect for a variety of courses in American government, this book is essential reading for political junkies of any stripe and serious students of campaigns and elections.