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American Parties in Context: Comparative and Historical Analysis book cover

1st Edition

American Parties in Context Comparative and Historical Analysis

By Robert Harmel, Matthew Giebert, Kenneth Janda Copyright 2016
148 Pages 10 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

148 Pages 10 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

148 Pages 10 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge
Also available as eBook on:
Roughly sixty-five years ago, a group of political scientists operating as the "Committee on Political Parties" of the American Political Association thought long and hard about whether the American parties were adequately serving their democracy, and made specific recommendations for improvements. Comparing the parties of this country to those of Great Britain, the Committee found the American... Read more

Preface  1. Introduction: The Argument for More Responsible Parties  2. Ideology: How Different are the Parties?  3. Organization: How Well Organized are the Parties?  4. Decentralization: Where Does the Power Lie?  5. Cohesion: How Unified are the Parties?  6. Conclusion: Voting and Governing with More Responsible Parties  Appendix A. Toward a More Responsible Two-Party System: Summary and Conclusions  Appendix B. Data for Exercises 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 5.2  Appendix C. Information for Exercise 5.1

Biography

Robert Harmel is Professor of Political Science at Texas A&M University.

Matthew Giebert is a Ph.D. student in Political Science at Texas A&M University.

Kenneth Janda is Payson S. Wild Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Northwestern University.

This is a very well-written, concise, and surprising comparison between the American parties and those in the UK and other Western democracies. It demonstrates that the American parties in the mid-1900s were not as "irresponsible" as some have alleged, and that today's parties, while more "responsible," are not a natural fit with the current American political environment. Chapters end in great suggestions for student projects!

– Marjorie Hershey, Indiana University

In a sophisticated and highly original analysis, the authors apply the responsible party model to the political, social and cultural development of recent times. The results can be surprising. Indispensable for anyone wanting to understand the modern party system.

– William Crotty, Northeastern University

For decades, assessments of American political parties have been influenced by the norms and criticisms contained in the 1950 APSA report on Responsible Political Parties. This crisply-written book provides a valuable and often surprising reassessment of how American parties compared to parties in other nations and how much change has occurred since 1950.

– Jeffrey M. Stonecash, Syracuse University

In important respects, American political parties are more responsible now than ever before. Harmel, Giebert, and Janda show how we know this to be true in a compelling and accessible fashion. Their "be careful what you wish for" message is sure to provoke discussion in many classrooms.

– Jeffrey D. Grynaviski, Wayne State University

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