With revitalized and stronger political parties should we see more effective and accountable government? Despite the resurgence of parties in America, charges of irresponsible and unreliable government remain. Why the disconnect? In Parties, Politics, and Public Policy in America, Marc Hetherington along with new coauthor Bruce Larson explore this question, while giving students an overview of how parties work and shape public policymaking in America.

In this eleventh edition, Hetherington and Larson provide more in-depth coverage of the parties' functions in Congress and campaign finance. In addition, the authors examine developments in the 2008 nomination and election contests-generational voting patterns, shifts in the red-blue divide, and the possibility of a partisan realignment. No other book for this course combines the breadth of scholarship with the brevity and accessibility found here.

About the Author
Marc J. Hetherington is associate professor of political science at Vanderbilt University. He was awarded the Emerging Scholar Award from the Elections, Voting Behavior and Public Opinion section of the American Political Science Association in 2004. He recently published Why Trust Matters: Declining Political Trust and the Demise of American Liberalism (Princeton University Press, 2005). He has published numerous articles in the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, and Public Opinion Quarterly. Bruce A. Larson is an associate professor of political science at Gettysburg College. A specialist in American political parties and elections, he has published articles in the Journal of Politics, Legislative Studies Quarterly, and Political Research Quarterly. Additionally, he is the coauthor of a book on American political parties and the coeditor of a book on statewide ballot initiatives in the United States.


Book Information
ISBN 9781604264586
Author Marc J. Hetherington
Format Paperback
Page Count 286
Imprint CQ Press
Publisher SAGE Publications Inc
Weight(grams) 500g