PS 4213/6213 Stephen D. Shaffer
Campaign Politics Office: 100-A Bowen
Summer 1 2000 Term Phone: 325-7861
1-3 M-F
Office Hours: 9-10 M-F
This course examines the politics of American political campaigns. We begin by examining the environment that faces potential campaigners, such as the nature of public opinion in America and how it is shaped by events and psychological processes. We also focus on the attributes of political candidates, and how their characteristics may help them win elections. One topic is the Permanent Campaign- how many candidates are constantly campaigning even between elections.
We then examine the formal organization and processes of the political campaign. The structure and personnel associated with personal campaign organizations, and the role of political parties are studied. The importance and source of campaign finances are also examined. The role and effects of the mass media are especially important, and shall be studied at length with relevant videotapes.
The course then turns to different types of political campaigns at different levels of electoral offices. Presidential elections are examined in depth with videotapes and computer simulations. Congressional elections are also studied in some depth. The nature of state elections shall also be examined.
This campaign politics course should be especially interesting because
of the presidential and congressional races
taking place this year. The rise of the Republican party has led to a very
competitive two-party system in Mississippi, and some intense partisan divisions as exist at the national level. Nationally and in Mississippi, some
believe that the Republicans may become the new majority party, as reflected in the 1994 GOP
Congressional landslide, while others point to Democratic victories in the
1999 Mississippi state
elections as suggesting a Democratic resurgence. Some of class time will be devoted to
discussing these political developments and elective contests.
ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS:
The course grade for undergraduates shall be based on three grading opportunities: a midterm essay exam; a final essay exam; and an extensive written book report. Each counts one-third of the course grade.
Graduate students shall also write a research paper, in addition to these three assignments; each of these four grades will be worth one-fourth of their course grade.
You should attend as many classes as possible, and attendance will be taken. Class participation
is one factor that may operate in your favor if you have a borderline course grade.
BOOKS:
The following books are assigned and required readings:
Congressional Elections: Campaigning at Home and in Washington. By Paul S. Herrnson. Third edition. CQ Press; Washington, D.C., 2000.
Campaigns and Elections: Contemporary Case Studies. By
Michael A. Bailey, Faucheux, Herrnson, and Wilcox. CQ Press: Washington,
D.C., 1999.
BOOK REVIEW:
Each student shall select a relevant book approved by the instructor, and make a written report on
it. You may select one of the two required books listed above for your book report. Or you may
select one of the following "approved" books, which may be borrowed from the instructor:
American Public Opinion; 5th edition. By Robert Erikson, Norman Luttbeg, and Kent Tedin. Allyn and Bacon, 1995.
Electoral Behavior in the United States. By Pat Dunham. Prentice-Hall; 1991.
Political Parties and Elections in American States; 3rd edition. By Malcolm Jewell and David Olson. Dorsey Press; 1988.
Elections in America: Control and Influence in Democratic Politics; 2nd edition. By Gerald Pomper and Susan Lederman. Longman; 1980.
Post Conservative America: People, Politics, and Ideology in a Time of Crisis. By Kevin P. Phillips. Random House; 1982.
Boiling Point: Democrats, Republicans, and the Decline of Middle-Class Prosperity. Kevin P. Phillips. Random House, 1993.
The Management of Election Campaigns. By Robert Agranoff. Holbrook Press Inc; Boston; 1976.
The Two-Party South. By Alexander P. Lamis. Oxford University Press; 1984.
The South's New Politics: Realignment and Dealignment. By Robert Swansbrough and David Brodsky. University of South Carolina; 1988.
The 1988 Presidential Election in the South. Laurence W. Moreland, Robert Steed, and Tod Baker. Praeger, 1991.
The 1992 Presidential Election in the South. Robert Steed, Laurence Moreland, and Tod Baker.
Black Votes Count: Political Empowerment in Mississippi after 1965. By Frank R. Parker. University of North Carolina Press; 1990.
Women, Elections, and Representation. By R. Darcy, Susan PS
Welch, and Janet Clark. Longman; New York; 1987.
Money in American Elections. By Frank Sorauf. Scott, Foresman; 1988.
PAC Power: Inside the World of Political Action Committees. By Larry J. Sabato. Norton; 1985.
Mass Media and Elections. Richard Joslyn. Random House; 1984.
The Mass Media Election: How Americans Choose Their President. Thomas Patterson. Praeger; 1980.
Media and Momentum: The New Hampshire Primary and Nomination Politics. Chatham House; 1987.
The Pulse of Politics: Electing Presidents in the Media Age. James David Barber. W.W. Norton; 1980
Running for Office: The Political Education of Campaigners. By Marjorie Randon Hershey. Chatham House; 1984.
The Politics of Congressional Elections. Gary Jocobson. Little, Brown; 1983.
Campaigning for Congress. Edie Goldenberg, Michael Traugott. Congressional Quarterly Inc; 1984.
Congressional Elections. Barbara Hinckley. Congressional Quarterly Inc; 1981.
Home Style: House Members in Their Districts. By Richard F. Fenno. Little, Brown; 1978.
The Making of a Senator, Dan Quayle. Richard F. Fenno, Jr.
CQ Press; 1989.
Presidential Campaign Politics; 3rd edition. By John H. Kessel. Dorsey; 1988.
Presidential Elections: Contemporary Strategies of American Electoral Politics; 7th edition. By Nelson Polsby and Aaron Wildavsky. Macmillan; 1988.
Presidents and Promises: From Campaign Pledge to Presidential Performance. By Jeff Fishel. CQ Press, Congressional Quarterly Inc; 1978.
Choices and Echoes in Presidential Elections: Rational Man and Electoral Democracy. By Benjamin Page. University of Chicago Press; 1978
The Making of the President, 1960. Theodore H. White. New American Library; 1961
The Making of the President, 1964. Theodore H. White. New American Library; 1965.
The Making of the President, 1968. Theodore H. White. Pocket Books; 1969.
The Making of the President, 1972. Theodore H. White. Bantam Books; 1973.
Marathon: The Pursuit of the Presidency, 1972-1976. Jules Witcover. Viking Press; 1977.
The Pursuit of the Presidency, 1980. David Broder et al. Berkley Book; 1980.
Change and Continuity in the 1980 Elections. By Paul Abramson, John Aldrich, and David Rohde. Congressional Quarterly Inc, 1982.
The Quest for the Presidency, 1984. Peter Goldman and Tony Fuller. Bantam Books; 1985.
The Elections of 1984. By Michael Nelson. CQ Press; 1985.
The Election of 1984: Reports and Interpretations. By Gerald Pomper and Colleagues. Chatham House; 1985.
Election 1984: Landslide Without a Mandate. Edited by Ellis Sandoz and Cecil Crabb. New American Library, a Mentor Book; 1985.
Change and Continuity in the 1984 Elections. By Paul Abramson, John Aldrich, and David Rohde. CQ Press; 1986.
The Quest for the Presidency: The 1988 Campaign. By Peter Goldman and Tom Mathews. Simon and Schuster; 1989.
Change and Continuity in the 1988 Elections. By Paul Abramson, John Aldrich, and David Rohde. CQ Press; 1990.
Whose Broad Stripes and Bright Stars: The Trivial Pursuit of the Presidency, 1988. Jack W. Germond and Jules Witcover. Warner Books; 1989.
Mad as Hell: Revolt at the Ballot Box, 1992. Jack W. Germond and Jules Witcover. Warner, 1993.
The Election of 1992. Gerald M. Pomper. Chatham House, 1993.
America's Choice: The Election of 1992. William Crotty. Dushkin Publishing Group; 1993.
American Electoral Behavior, 1952-1992, 2nd edition. Norman Luttbeg and Michael Gant. F.E. Peacock Publishers, 1995.
In Pursuit of the White House: How We Choose Our Presidential Nominees. Edited by William G. Mayer. Chatham House Publishers Inc; Chatham, N.J.; 1995.
The Vital South: How Presidents are Elected. Earl Black and Merle Black. Harvard University Press; Cambridge, Mass.; 1992.
The Election of 1996. Gerald M. Pomper editor. Chatham House Publishers; 1997.
Southern Democrats. Nicol C. Rae. Oxford University Press; 1994.
The 1996 Presidential Election in the South. Laurence W. Moreland, Robert Steed, eds. Praeger, 1997.
Race, Campaign Politics, and the Realignment in the South. James M. Glaser. Yale University Press; 1996.
The Southern Strategy Revisited: Republican Top-Down Advancement in the South. Joseph A. Aistrup. The University Press of Kentucky; 1996.
Southern Parties and Elections: Studies in Regional Political Change. Robert P. Steed, Laurence W. Moreland, and Tod A. Baker, eds. The University of Alabama Press; 1997.
Party Organization and Activism in the American South. Robert P. Steed, John A. Clark, Lewis Bowman, and Charles D. Hadley, eds. The University of Alabama Press; 1998.
Party Activists in Southern Politics: Mirrors and Makers of Change. Charles D. Hadley and Lewis
Bowman, eds. The University of Tennessee Press; 1998.
COURSE OUTLINE: (outdated, based on 1998 course)
1. JUNE 1-4
The Environment: Public Opinion.
Read Wayne's The Road to the White House: chapter 3
2. JUNE 5-8
The Actors: Candidates
Read Herrnson's Congressional Elections, chapter 2, 6
3. JUNE 9
The Campaign Organization: Structure and Personnel
Read Herrnson's, chapters 3-4
Read Wayne's, Chapter 6
4. JUNE 10-11
Campaign Finances
Read Wayne's, ch. 2
Read Herrnson's, chapter 5, 11
5. JUNE 12-15
The Mass Media
Read Wayne's ch. 7
Read Herrnson's, chapter 8
JUNE 16:
MIDTERM ESSAY EXAMINATION
6. JUNE 17-18
Presidential Nomination Politics
Read Wayne's ch. 4, 5
7. JUNE 19-23
Presidential Election Campaigns
Read Wayne's ch. 1, 8, 9
8. JUNE 24-25
Congressional Election Campaigns
Read Herrnson's, chapters 1, 7, 9
9. JUNE 26
State Electoral Politics
Read Herrnson's, chapter 10
WRITTEN BOOK REVIEWS DUE, JUNE 26
10. JUNE 29
Southern Politics
No Assigned Readings
FINAL ESSAY EXAMINATION, JULY 1, 8-11 AM