The Politics of Cultural Differences

Winner of the 2005 Best Book on Religion and Politics, Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association "The Politics of Cultural Differences provides a compelling account of American electoral politics, and of presidential campaigns specifically, over the last four decades of the twentieth century."--Robert A. Jackson, Social Forces

David C. Leege is Professor of Government and International Studies at the University of Notre Dame. He is the principal author of "Rediscovering the Religious Factor in American Politics" and "Political Research Methods". Kenneth D. Wald is Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida and the author of three books, including "Crosses on the Ballot: Patterns of British Voter Alignment since 1885" (Princeton). Brian S. Krueger is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Rhode Island. Paul D. Mueller is completing his doctoral dissertation in political science at the University of Notre Dame.

Figures and Tables ix Preface xi PART I: Cultural Theory and Recent American Politics Chapter One Anomalies of Post-New Deal Politics 3 Chapter Two The Political Mobilization of Cultural Differences 13 Chapter Three General Components of Cultural Theory in Political Conflict 39 Chapter Four Election Rituals, Ideological Movements, and Group Politics 56 Chapter Five Psychological Mechanisms and Campaign Strategies 83 PART II: Case Studies of the Political Mobilization of Cultural Differences Chapter Six Cultural Strains in the New Deal Coalition 101 Chapter Seven A Methodology for Assessing Cultural Politics 130 Chapter Eight Keeping America Purposeful, Powerful, and Pure 158 Chapter Nine Race and the Transformation of the Contemporary Party System 179 Chapter Ten Gender, Religion, and the Second Party Transformation 203 Chapter Eleven Cultural Politics: Some Conclusions and Practical Implications 252 References 271 Index 283