State of the Parties

John C. Green is Distinguished Professor of Political Science and director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at The University of Akron. Daniel J. Coffey is assistant professor of political science at The University of Akron and a fellow in the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics. He has published in State Politics and Policy Quarterly. He studies political parties, public opinion, state and local politics, campaigns and elections, and research methods. David B. Cohen is professor of political science and fellow in the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at The University of Akron.

Polarization in U.S. politics is typically characterized as red versus blue states, yet political parties in the U.S. have never been more divided and contentious. The aftermath of the 2012 presidential election speaks to the chasm that separates the two parties. The State of the Parties, edited by Green, Coffey, and Cohen, highlights that those divisions are only part of the dynamic shaping the American political landscape. Identifying both party change and continuity, this edition’s prominent and emerging scholars examine the 'state of parties,' polarization of the electorate, polarization of the political elites, Tea Party politics, Super PACs and partisan resources, and partisan activities. The contributors' well-documented analyses persuasively illustrate that polarization between the parties is rooted deep within the electorate, polarization is intense among the party elites, the Republican Party has serious internal divisions, and the Tea Party will remain a force within the GOP. The research confirms that American political parties, central to all aspects of politics in a functioning democracy, are vibrant and dynamic institutions. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, research, and professional collections.

• IntroductionCoffey, Green and Cohen IWhy So Polarized? Why American Political Parties Can’t Get Beyond the Left-Right Divide (Edward G. Carmines, Indiana University, Michael J. Ensley, Kent State University, Michael W. Wagner, University of Wisconsin). American Electorate: Explaining Polarization in Feeling Thermometer Ratings of the Parties (Alan Abramowitz, Emory University) Political Identity and Party Polarization in the American Electorate (David C. Kimball, Bryce Summary, and Eric C. Vorst, University of Missouri-St. Louis) The End of the Two-Tiered Electoral System (William G. Mayer, Northeastern University) IIElite PolarizationCongressional Polarization and Presidential-House Election Results (Jeffrey M. Stonecash, Syracuse University) Congress: Partisan, Polarized, Yet Not Dysfunctional? William F. Connelly, Jr., Washington and Lee University Two Parties Divided by a Common Language? Regional Sources of Partisan Disagreement (Daniel J. Coffey, University of Akron) Party Polarization in America’s State Legislatures (Boris Shor, University of Chicago, Harris School) IIIThe 2012 Presidential ElectionThe Role of Rules in the 2012 Presidential Nominations (Caitlin E. Jewitt, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis)Kingmakers or Cheerleaders? Party Power and the Causal Effects of Endorsements (Thad Kousser, University of California, San Diego, Seth Masket, University of Denver, and Eric McGhee, Public Policy Institute of California)The Ground Game from the Voter’s Perspective: 2012 and Before (Paul A. Beck, The Ohio State University and Erik Heidemann, Kent State University) IVThe Tea Party and the 2012 Election The Tea Party and the 2012 Election Ronald Rapoport, College of William and Mary, Meredith Dost, College of William and Mary, and Walter Stone, University of California, Davis) The Divided Republicans: Tea Party Supporters, Establishment Republicans, and the Role of Social Networking Media in Driving Polarization (Peter L. Francia and Jonathan S. Morris, East Carolina University) Who Needs Enemies? The Tea Party Impact on the Republican Party (William J. Miller, Flagler College and Michael John Burton, Ohio University) VCampaign Finance The Changing Role of Hill Committees in the Age of Super PACS (Diana Dwyre, California State University, Chico and Robin Kolodny, Temple University) Towards a Typology of Super PACs: Candidate, Party or Group Centered? (David B. Magleby, Brigham Young University) The Importance of Building a Donor Network in the Presidential Primary: Lessons Learned by the 2012 Republicans (Dante Scala, University of New Hampshire) VIState and Local PartiesChanges in Local Party Structure and Activity, 1980-2010 (Douglas D. Roscoe and Shannon Jenkins, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth)Separated We Stand? The Impact of Ideological Sorting on Local Party Dynamics (Daniel M. Shea, Colby College) Mahoning Democrats