Overview

It was the best of elections; it was the worst of elections. The 2004 presidential contest mobilized a record number of voters, with 121 million Americans showing up at the polls. But in many eyes, the 2004 race also plumbed new depths. It was the most expensive presidential election in history, with a price tag of $2.2 billion. It was also marked by unprecedented negativity—for example, both George W. Bush and John Kerry came under fire for their activities during the Vietnam War, which ended three decades ago. In V ital Signs, David Dulio and Candice Nelson analyze the Bush and Kerry campaigns and use them as the springboard for a broader exploration of the current U.S. campaign system and its strengths and weaknesses. The book addresses four key issues: Who's in charge of modern campaigns? How effective are the key players? What role does money play? And are campaigns being conducted in an ethical manner? In answering these questions, Dulio and Nelson draw on a wide range of sources, including focus groups, interviews with campaign professionals, and a unique dataset based on multiple surveys of political consultants, party operatives, and the public. The culmination of the seven-year """"Improving Campaign Conduct"""" project, Vital Signs should become an integral part of the debate about American campaigns and elections.

Full Product Details

9780815719519

Table of Contents

Reviews

""By carefully presenting survey results, they cut through some of the anecodotal clutter about political campaigns. Recommended."" —R. M. Flanagan, CUNY College of Staten Island, CHOICE

By carefully presenting survey results, they cut through some of the anecodotal clutter about political campaigns. Recommended. - R. M. Flanagan, CUNY College of Staten Island, CHOICE

Author Information

James A. Thurber is University Distinguished Professor of Government and Founder (1979) and Former Director (1979-2016) of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University in Washington, D.C. He is also an Affiliate Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Public Administration and Policy. Thurber is author or editor of over twenty books and more than 90 articles and chapters on Congress, the U.S. presidency, interest groups and lobbying, and campaigns and elections. Dr. Thurber has been honored as the American University’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year and was selected Scholar/Teacher of the Year and received the Walter Beach Pi Sigma Alpha American Political Science Association award for his work combining applied and academic research.

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