Political Behavior of the American Electorate

The 2012 elections took place in a time of intense party polarization and a weak economy, yet the incumbent president won reelection. How did Obama pull off his victory? New authors Elizabeth Theiss-Morse and Michael Wagner continue the tradition of Flanigan and Zingale by using American National Election Study data to provide a thorough analysis of the 2012 elections and of American political behavior more generally. The authors explore get-out-the-vote efforts and the reasons people voted the way they did, as well as the nature and impact of partisanship, issues, and news media coverage in 2012--all with an eye toward understanding the trends that led up to the election.