The Politics of Congressional Elections by Jacobson, Gary C. -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

List of Figures List of Tables Preface 1 Introduction 2 The Context

The Constitutional Framework Congressional Districts

Partisan Gerrymandering Redistricting between Censuses Racial Gerrymandering Bipartisan Gerrymanders

The Republican Advantage in House Districts

States as Electoral Units

Election Laws Political Parties Social and Political Contexts Conclusion

3 Congressional Candidates

The Incumbency Factor

Measuring the Value of Incumbency The Vanishing Marginals

Sources of the Incumbency Advantage

The Institutional Characteristics of Congress Changes in Voting Behavior Constituency Service The Variability of the Incumbency Advantage

Discouraging the Opposition Money in Congressional Elections

The Career in the District Motivating Challengers

4 Congressional Campaigns

Campaign Money

Contributions to Candidates PACs PACs and the Pivotal 1994 Election Party Money Contributions from Other Members of Congress Self-Financing by Candidates Fund-Raising Tactics and Donors

Independent, Voter-Education, and Issue-Advocacy Campaigns Campaign Organizations

Campaign Strategies Campaign Media Personal Campaigning

Campaign Messages

Challengers’ Campaigns Going Negative Incumbents’ Campaigns Candidates for Open Seats

Senate Campaigns Manipulating Turnout Conclusion

5 Congressional Voters

Turnout in Congressional Elections Who Votes? Partisanship in Congressional Elections

Alternative Interpretations of Party Identification Partisanship and Voting

Partisanship and Incumbency Information and Voting

Recall and Recognition of Candidates

Contacting Voters Changing Evaluations of Incumbents Issues in Congressional Elections

6 National Politics and Congressional Elections

Political Interpretations of Congressional Elections Models of Aggregate Congressional Election Results Presidential Coattails National Conditions and Strategic Politics Campaign Themes House Elections, 1992–2014

1992–2000 2002–2010 2012 and 2014

Senate Elections, 1992–2014

1992–2000 2002–2010 2012 and 2014

Conclusion

7 Elections, Representation, and the Politics of Congress

Representation Policy Congruence The Changing Relationship between Constituencies and Roll-Call Votes Constituents, Interests, and Causes Representation by Referendum Descriptive Representation Policy Consequences

Particularism Serving the Organized Responsiveness without Responsibility

The Congressional Parties: Decline and Revival The Revival of Party Cohesion, 1980–2014

Ideological Polarization in Congress and the Electorate Polarization in Presidential Support Party Polarization: The Electoral Connection Diverging Electoral Constituencies Chicken or Egg?

The Downside of Strong Party Government The Public’s Evaluations of Congress Reforming Congress

Term Limits

2016 and Beyond: Geography and Demography

Bibliography