SUNY series in Political Party Development – serie

Details how the Supreme Court has impoverished the constitutional standing of political parties, thereby contributing to a crisis of representation.Confronting a fundamentally important but often neglected reality in American politics, this book shows the powerful influence of the courts in determining the shape and operation of our politics. The author exhaustively details how the Supreme Court has impoverished the constitutional standing of political parties in areas of redistricting, campaign finance, ballot access, patronage, and party primaries, opting instead for superficially appealing notions of group-based representation.Ryden demonstrates how the Supreme Court, by checking virtually everything undertaken by the more "political" branches, of government, has exerted powerful influence on how the political system operates and how politics plays out at the most practical level. The book details the Court's attraction to group-based approaches to representation currently in vogue and offers persuasive evidence that while well-intended,such approaches only feed the crisis of representation afflicting this country. These approaches, Ryden aruges, compartmentalize and separate out those being represented rather than cultivate a more unified, inclusive, and ultimately healthier scheme of representation. This compelling indictment of the Supreme Court's constitutional theory of representation offers a much-needed prescription for how the Court might better perform its role as ultimate guardian of representative government.

Examines the emergence of state-level legislative campaign committees in the U. S., which are quickly becoming the dominant force in state politics, and explores their relationship with traditional party organizations.This book examines the emergence of state-level legislative campaign committees (LCCs) and their relationship with traditional political party organizations. Now found in 40 states, LCCs provide extensive campaign services and are quickly becoming the dominant force in state politics. But where do these new organizations fit in the party rubric? Whereas most scholars suggest they are evidence of party evolution and growth, Shea disagrees, forcing a rethinking of precisely what we expect political parties to do.Are state LCCs part of, and do they act like, party organizations? To answer this question, Shea examines surveys of over 300 state and county party leaders from around the nation and numerous sources of aggregate data. Using a mix of empirical and anecdotal information, the author looks at formal linkages, project interdependence, goals and activities, and general perceptions of party leaders. He concludes that LCCs are best conceived as independent campaign consulting firms rather than "party organizations" and that these new units may be contributing to party atrophy rather than party resurgence.

Examines the emergence of state-level legislative campaign committees in the U. S., which are quickly becoming the dominant force in state politics, and explores their relationship with traditional party organizations.This book examines the emergence of state-level legislative campaign committees (LCCs) and their relationship with traditional political party organizations. Now found in 40 states, LCCs provide extensive campaign services and are quickly becoming the dominant force in state politics. But where do these new organizations fit in the party rubric? Whereas most scholars suggest they are evidence of party evolution and growth, Shea disagrees, forcing a rethinking of precisely what we expect political parties to do.Are state LCCs part of, and do they act like, party organizations? To answer this question, Shea examines surveys of over 300 state and county party leaders from around the nation and numerous sources of aggregate data. Using a mix of empirical and anecdotal information, the author looks at formal linkages, project interdependence, goals and activities, and general perceptions of party leaders. He concludes that LCCs are best conceived as independent campaign consulting firms rather than "party organizations" and that these new units may be contributing to party atrophy rather than party resurgence.

Details how the Supreme Court has impoverished the constitutional standing of political parties, thereby contributing to a crisis of representation.Confronting a fundamentally important but often neglected reality in American politics, this book shows the powerful influence of the courts in determining the shape and operation of our politics. The author exhaustively details how the Supreme Court has impoverished the constitutional standing of political parties in areas of redistricting, campaign finance, ballot access, patronage, and party primaries, opting instead for superficially appealing notions of group-based representation.Ryden demonstrates how the Supreme Court, by checking virtually everything undertaken by the more "political" branches, of government, has exerted powerful influence on how the political system operates and how politics plays out at the most practical level. The book details the Court's attraction to group-based approaches to representation currently in vogue and offers persuasive evidence that while well-intended,such approaches only feed the crisis of representation afflicting this country. These approaches, Ryden aruges, compartmentalize and separate out those being represented rather than cultivate a more unified, inclusive, and ultimately healthier scheme of representation. This compelling indictment of the Supreme Court's constitutional theory of representation offers a much-needed prescription for how the Court might better perform its role as ultimate guardian of representative government.

Addresses the altered states of political parties and politics in the post-Cold War era.With the passage of the Cold War, political parties in nearly every corner of the globe have undergone a vast upheaval. Old ideas have become obsolete, electoral maps have been redrawn, party structures have been rebuilt, and new leaders have emerged. Political Parties and the Collapse of the Old Orders describes these changes using several countries as laboratories: the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Israel, South Africa, and Russia. While the nature and extent of the political upheavals vary from place to place, the transformations in each nation's party system have been extraordinary. In this "new world order," the old political arrangements and old ways of doing things have disappeared. The altered states of political parties in the post-Cold War world pose a central question: what does change look like? The answers given here illuminate our understanding of why the world has changed and how political parties are attempting to cope with it.