The Elections of 2016 / Edition 1

by Michael Nelson

Overview

Bringing together a host of distinguished scholars, Michael Nelson's The Elections of 2016 reliably delivers a nuanced analysis of yet another momentous cycle of political contests. No other single volume can expose your students to the depth of analysis and expertise in this title. Whether discussing particular races or taking a broader look at the national trends, these contributors captivate students with engaging stories and political drama, while weaving in important scholarship and expert analysis. Available mere months after the election, each chapter, written specifically for this volume, offers readers historical perspective as well as a look forward at the implications for the American political system.

New to this Edition 

• Overview of Donald Trump’s campaign and what factors led to him winning the election.
• Analysis of the role that media and money played in the elections.
• Provides a look at Congressional elections, their outcomes, and impact.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781506378084
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	03/29/2017
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Michael Nelson is Fulmer Professor of Political Science at Rhodes College and a senior fellow at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center. A former editor of the Washington Monthly, his most recent books include Trump’s First Year (2018); The Elections of 2016 (2018); The Evolving Presidency: Landmark Documents (2019); The American Presidency: Origins and Development (with Sidney M. Milkis, 2011); and Governing at Home: The White House and Domestic Policymaking (with Russell B. Riley, 2011). Nelson has contributed to numerous journals, including the Journal of Policy History, Journal of Politics, and Political Science Quarterly. He also has written multiple articles on subjects as varied as baseball, Frank Sinatra, and C. S. Lewis. More than fifty of his articles have been anthologized in works of political science, history, and English composition. His 2014 book, Resilient America: Electing Nixon, Channeling Dissent, and Dividing Government, won the American Political Science Association’s Richard E. Neustadt Award for best book on the presidency published that year; and his 2006 book with John Lyman Mason, How the South Joined the Gambling Nation, won the Southern Political Science Association’s V.O. Key Award.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

About the Editor ix

About the Contributors x

1 The Setting: Broadening the Presidential Talent Pool-for Better and Worse Michael Nelson 1

2 The Nominations: The Road to a Much-Disliked General Election William G. Mayer 29

3 The Election: The Allure of the Outsider Marc J. Hetherington 63

4 Voting Behavior: Continuity and Confusion in the Electorate Nicole E. Mellow 87

5 The Media: Covering Donald Trump Marjorie Randon Hershey 113

6 Campaign Finance: Where Big Money Mattered and Where It Didn't Marian Currinder 137

7 Congress: Nationalized, Polarized, and Partisan Gary C. Jacobson 165

8 The Presidency: Donald Trump and the Question of Fitness Paul J. Quirk 189

9 The Meaning of the 2016 Election: The President as Minority Leader Andrew Rudalevige 217

Editorial Reviews

The strength is the authors’ ability to integrate political science research into readable essays that are accessible to undergraduates. Moreover, the articles—and the book—are brief, which is a virtue in an undergraduate class, and all the essays are quite good. I have assigned this book every year in my course on the presidency, and with good reason—it is consistently the best one available on this topic.

Matthew Dickinson

Past editions of Mike Nelson’s elections series have been excellent in the immediate aftermath of the presidential election. They effectively capture the events of the campaigns and the circumstances leading up to the campaigns.

William Field