Description
Why do voters so often exhibit patterns of policy preference vastly different from what analysts and strategists predict? And why do these same voters consistently cast ballots that ensure the continuation of "divided government?" In The Two Majorities Byron Shafer and William Claggett offer groundbreaking political analysis that resolves many of the seeming contradictions in the contemporary American political scene. Provocatively, the authors argue that each party's best strategy for success is not to try to take popular positions on the whole range of issues, but to focus attention on the party's most successful cluster of issues.
About the Author
John Anthony Maltese teaches in the Department of Political Scienceat the University of Georgia. His books include Spin Control: The White House Office of Communications and the Management of Presidential News.
Reviews
Byron Shafer and William Claggett have given us an important book. While attending ably to their primary objective of advancing our understanding of the contemporary partisan realignment, the authors manage as well to contribute significantly to another subject of even greater scope. -- Everett Carll Ladd Public Opinion Quarterly The stated scholarly mission of the book is to tease out the structure of American political opinion in the late twentieth century: the central concerns of that opinion, their roots and the distribution of preferences on them, and the gathering and dividing of preferences in partisan ways. In addition, Shafer and Claggett consider the implications of an opinion structure for practical-and successful-politicking. -- Edward Sidlow Perspectives on Political Science Overall, The Two Majorities is an interesting and useful study of public opinion. It provides readers with a good picture of public opinion and it connects that picture with sound strategic advice for each party about what sort of issues to emphasize and to ignore. -- Eric R. A. N. Smith American Political Science Review
Book Information
ISBN 9780801850196
Author Byron E. Shafer
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Johns Hopkins University Press
Publisher Johns Hopkins University Press
Weight(grams) 369g
About the Author
John Anthony Maltese teaches in the Department of Political Scienceat the University of Georgia. His books include Spin Control: The White House Office of Communications and the Management of Presidential News.
Reviews
Byron Shafer and William Claggett have given us an important book. While attending ably to their primary objective of advancing our understanding of the contemporary partisan realignment, the authors manage as well to contribute significantly to another subject of even greater scope. -- Everett Carll Ladd Public Opinion Quarterly The stated scholarly mission of the book is to tease out the structure of American political opinion in the late twentieth century: the central concerns of that opinion, their roots and the distribution of preferences on them, and the gathering and dividing of preferences in partisan ways. In addition, Shafer and Claggett consider the implications of an opinion structure for practical-and successful-politicking. -- Edward Sidlow Perspectives on Political Science Overall, The Two Majorities is an interesting and useful study of public opinion. It provides readers with a good picture of public opinion and it connects that picture with sound strategic advice for each party about what sort of issues to emphasize and to ignore. -- Eric R. A. N. Smith American Political Science Review
Book Information
ISBN 9780801850196
Author Byron E. Shafer
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Johns Hopkins University Press
Publisher Johns Hopkins University Press
Weight(grams) 369g
