Presidential Races 2nd Edition

American presidents have come from all walks of life. Some have had a lot of experience campaigning for office, while others have had almost none. In fact, the nation's first president—George Washington—didn't even run for office. He was chosen by a group of electors in 1789. More than 200 years later, campaigning for the United States' highest office takes years to plan, years to carry out, and a lot of money. Candidates must be prepared to rally supporters at live events across the nation, give hundreds of interviews and speeches, and create sophisticated communication strategies. No longer can candidates simply let their records speak for themselves. They must engage their competition—and the American voter—in vigorous debate 24/7, using robust advertising, strategic appearances, and social media messaging. Follow the changes in presidential campaign strategies from the nation's early leaders to twenty-first century contenders. Meet the personalities that have defined the office, from George Washington to Barack Obama, the nation's first African American president. Learn how strategies to pick candidates, raise money, run campaigns, sway voters, and elect leaders have evolved. And see if you can predict what lies ahead for Americans in upcoming presidential elections.

"It's the economy, stupid," as Democratic strategist James Carville would say. After many years of study, Ray C. Fair has found that the state of the economy has a dominant influence on national elections. Just in time for the 2012 presidential election, this new edition of his classic text, Predicting Presidential Elections and Other Things, provides us with a look into the likely future of our nation's political landscape—but Fair doesn't stop there. Fair puts other national issues under the microscope as well—including congressional elections, Federal Reserve behavior, and inflation. In addition he covers topics well beyond today's headlines, as the book takes on questions of more direct, personal interest such as wine quality, predicting football games, and aging effects in baseball. Which of your friends is most likely to have an extramarital affair? How important is class attendance for academic performance in college? How fast can you expect to run a race or perform some physical task at age 55, given your time at age 30? Read Predicting Presidential Elections and Other Things and find out! As Fair works his way through an incredibly broad range of questions and topics, he teaches and delights. The discussion that underlies each chapter topic moves from formulating theories about real world phenomena to lessons on how to analyze data, test theories, and make predictions. At the end of this book, readers will walk away with more than mere predictions. They will have learned a new approach to thinking about many age-old concerns in public and private life, and will have a myriad of fun facts to share.

From Washington to Obama, the single best source on U.S. presidential elections

Reporting data and predicting trends through the 2008 campaign, this classroom-tested volume offers again James E. Campbell's "theory of the predictable campaign," incorporating the fundamental conditions that systematically affect the presidential vote: political competition, presidential incumbency, and election-year economic conditions. Campbell's cogent thinking and clear style present students with a readable survey of presidential elections and political scientists' ways of studying them. The American Campaign also shows how and why journalists have mistakenly assigned a pattern of unpredictability and critical significance to the vagaries of individual campaigns. This excellent election-year text provides:a summary and assessment of each of the serious predictive models of presidential election outcomes;a historical summary of many of America's important presidential elections;a significant new contribution to the understanding of presidential campaigns and how they matter.

The study of the presidency—the power of the office, the evolution of the executive as an institution, the men who have served—has generated a great body of research and scholarship.What better way to get students to grapple with the ideas of the literature than through conflicting perspectives on some of the most pivotal issues facing the modern presidency? Richard Ellis and Michael Nelson have once again assembled a cadre of top scholars to offer a series of pro/con essays that will inspire spirited debate beyond the pages of the book. Each essay—written in the form of a debate resolution— offers a compelling yet concise view on the American executive. In essays that are new to this edition, contributors debate the repeal of the 22nd Amendment, the abolition of the vice presidency, the extent to which presidential signing statements threaten the separation of powers, and whether the fighting of the war on terror should require relaxing checks on presidential power. Ellis and Nelson introduce each pair of essays, giving students context and preparing them to read each argument critically, so they can decide for themselves which side of the debate they find most persuasive.

Polsby and Wildavsky’s classic text argues that the institutional rules of the presidential nomination and election processes, in combination with the behavior of the mass electorate, structure the strategic choices faced by politicians in powerful and foreseeable ways. We can make sense of the decisions made by differently situated political actors—incumbents, challengers, Democrats, Republicans, consultants, party official, activists, delegates, journalists, and voters—by understanding the ways in which their world is organized by incentives, regulations, events, resources, customs, and opportunities.

Now in its second edition, The Routledge Historical Atlas of Presidential Elections covers each race for the presidency with brisk, lively narratives up to the election of 2016. Filled with more than 100 full-color maps and illustrations, this updated volume is an indispensable resource for learning about the suspense-filled races to gain America’s highest office. Distinguished presidential historian Yanek Mieczkowski captures intriguing details about candidates, issues, and campaigns, allowing readers to experience the drama of every contest. The colorful maps that put state-by-state results at readers’ fingertips show geographic voting trends during the country’s history. The presidency is America’s greatest political prize, and this book describes how candidates have won it—including changes in electoral strategies and campaign practices over the years. This text offers a treasure trove of historical information, such as: The early tradition of the "mute" candidate The period where just one effective political party existed nationwide One race that witnessed an astounding 80 percent voter turnout A popular-vote victory of 39.9 percent that triggered secession The emergence of the "front-porch" campaign A third-party candidate who got more votes than the incumbent president The impact of radio, television, and the Internet on the election process This book is essential reading for students of American history and the U.S. presidency.