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Preface | |
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Democratic Elections: What's the Problem? | |
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Contemporary Election Issues | |
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The Nature of Democracy | |
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Types of Democracies | |
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Elections and Democracy | |
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Tensions within a Democratic Electoral System | |
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Summary: Democratic Election Dilemmas in a Nutshell | |
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Now It's Your Turn | |
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Notes | |
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Popular Base of American Electoral Politics: Suffrage and Turnout | |
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Suffrage in American Elections | |
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Variations in Voter Turnout | |
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Influences on Voting | |
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Consequences of Not Voting | |
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Possible Solutions to the Nonvoting Problem | |
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Summary: Suffrage and Turnout Dilemmas in a Nutshell | |
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Now It's Your Turn | |
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Notes | |
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How Representative Are American Elections? | |
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The Concept of Representation | |
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The Structure of Elections and the Underrepresentation of Minorities | |
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American Politics and the Underrepresentation of Women | |
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The Electoral College System and the Overrepresentation of Large Competitive States | |
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Public Opinion, Representation, and Policy Outcomes | |
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Summary: Representational Dilemmas in a Nutshell | |
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Now It's Your Turn | |
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Notes | |
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Has Money Corrupted Our Electoral Process? | |
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Money and Democratic Elections | |
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Campaign Finance Legislation and Its Consequences | |
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Continuing Campaign Finance Issues | |
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Summary: Campaign Finance Dilemmas in a Nutshell | |
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Now It's Your Turn | |
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Notes | |
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News Media: Watchdog or Pit Bull? | |
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The Evolution of Election News | |
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The Adequacy of Contemporary Campaign Coverage | |
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Public Cynicism about the Media | |
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What Can Be Done? | |
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Summary: News Media Dilemmas in a Nutshell | |
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Now It's Your Turn | |
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Notes | |
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Are American Parties Still Representative? | |
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Parties and American Democracy | |
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The Evolution of U.S. Political Parties | |
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Parties, Electoral Representation, and Democratic Governance | |
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Summary: Partisan Dilemmas in a Nutshell | |
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Now It's Your Turn | |
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Notes | |
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The Nomination Process: Whose Is It Anyway? | |
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The Movement from an Elite to a More Popular System | |
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The Democratization of Nominations: Representative or Unrepresentative? | |
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The Impact of Nominations on Government | |
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Improving the Nomination System | |
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National Nominating Conventions: Anachronism or Still Relevant? | |
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The Incumbency Advantage | |
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Summary: Nomination Dilemmas in a Nutshell | |
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Now It's Your Turn | |
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Notes | |
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Campaign Communications: How Much Do They Matter? | |
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Campaign Communications and Democratic Elections | |
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Campaign Imagery | |
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Communication Distortions | |
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The New Technology of Polling, Targeting, and Messaging: Better Communication or More Effective Manipulation? | |
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Campaigning on the Internet | |
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Summary: Campaign Communication Dilemmas in a Nutshell | |
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Now It's Your Turn | |
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Notes | |
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Elections and Government: A Tenuous Connection | |
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Who Governs? | |
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The Relationship between Campaigning and Governing | |
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The Election and Public Policy | |
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Policy and Performance: Responsiveness and Accountability | |
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Summary: Elections and Government Dilemmas in a Nutshell | |
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Now It's Your Turn | |
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Notes | |
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Index | |