The State of the Parties: The Changing Role of Contemporary American Parties - Softcover

John C. Green is Distinguished Professor of Political Science and director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at The University of Akron. Daniel J. Coffey is assistant professor of political science at The University of Akron and a fellow in the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics. He has published in State Politics and Policy Quarterly. He studies political parties, public opinion, state and local politics, campaigns and elections, and research methods. David B. Cohen is professor of political science and fellow in the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at The University of Akron.

I always look forward to the new edition of The State of the Parties! It offers those of us who study and teach about party politics the most up-to-date research from a wide range of perspectives and by distinguished parties scholars. (Marjorie R. Hershey, Indiana University)

Polarization in US politics is typically characterized as red versus blue states, yet political parties in the US have never been more divided and contentious. The aftermath of the 2012 presidential election speaks to the chasm that separates the two parties. The State of the Parties, edited by Green, Coffey, and Cohen, highlights that those divisions are only part of the dynamic shaping the American political landscape. Identifying both party change and continuity, this edition’s prominent and emerging scholars examine the 'state of parties,' polarization of the electorate, polarization of the political elites, Tea Party politics, Super PACs and partisan resources, and partisan activities. The contributors' well-documented analyses persuasively illustrate that polarization between the parties is rooted deep within the electorate, polarization is intense among the party elites, the Republican Party has serious internal divisions, and the Tea Party will remain a force within the GOP. The research confirms that American political parties, central to all aspects of politics in a functioning democracy, are vibrant and dynamic institutions. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, research, and professional collections. (CHOICE)

The State of the Parties brings readers up to date on party action in election years and in between. This essential party primer includes: new chapters on polarization between and within the parties in the aftermath of the 2012 election, demographic changes to America’s political parties and the effects of new media and campaign finance laws on national and local electoral results, an analysis of the Tea Party’s rise to relevance and the kind of impact they have had on the American polity, and as always, the implications of all these things on future policymaking and electoral prospects moving forward.