Local Elections and the Politics of Small-Scale Democracy

Local Elections and the Politics of Small-Scale Democracy
Author: J. Eric Oliver
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 235
Release: 2012-07-22
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1400842549

Local government is the hidden leviathan of American politics: it accounts for nearly a tenth of gross domestic product, it collects nearly as much in taxes as the federal government, and its decisions have an enormous impact on Americans' daily lives. Yet political scientists have few explanations for how people vote in local elections, particularly in the smaller cities, towns, and suburbs where most Americans live. Drawing on a wide variety of data sources and case studies, this book offers the first comprehensive analysis of electoral politics in America's municipalities. Arguing that current explanations of voting behavior are ill suited for most local contests, Eric Oliver puts forward a new theory that highlights the crucial differences between local, state, and national democracies. Being small in size, limited in power, and largely unbiased in distributing their resources, local governments are "managerial democracies" with a distinct style of electoral politics. Instead of hinging on the partisanship, ideology, and group appeals that define national and state elections, local elections are based on the custodial performance of civic-oriented leaders and on their personal connections to voters with similarly deep community ties. Explaining not only the dynamics of local elections, Oliver's findings also upend many long-held assumptions about community power and local governance, including the importance of voter turnout and the possibilities for grassroots political change.

Oregon Blue Book

Oregon Blue Book
Author: Oregon. Office of the Secretary of State
Publisher:
Total Pages: 232
Release: 1895
Genre: Oregon
ISBN:

Winning Local and State Elections

Winning Local and State Elections
Author: Ann Beaudry
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2010-06-15
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1451603274

This straightforward and direct guide to running a political campaign provides insight for the first-time candidate based on the authors’ years of experience in the political sphere. The book features step-by-step instructions for an entire campaign: from the planning stages to the election. Perfect for community-based elections and grassroots campaigns.

Racial Coalition Building in Local Elections

Racial Coalition Building in Local Elections
Author: Andrea Benjamin
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2019-09-12
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9781108733427

This book examines racial and ethnic coalition building in local elections and considers Black and Latino political incorporation more broadly. Although many argue that Black and Latino voters have much to gain from alliances that advance shared interests, coalitions between the two groups have not always formed easily or been stable over time. Recent mayoral elections across the country show different patterns of out-group candidate support. This book seeks to explain these variations and the specific conditions under which Blacks and Latinos vote for the same candidate. Drawing on large-n observational data, survey experiments, and qualitative case studies, Benjamin develops a theory of co-ethnic endorsements, which points to the significance of elite cues from Black and Latino leaders. The book demonstrates that voters use elite co-ethnic endorsements to help inform their votes, that they do so particularly when race is salient in an election, and that this has real implications for representation and access to political benefits.

The Routledge Handbook of Local Elections and Voting in Europe

The Routledge Handbook of Local Elections and Voting in Europe
Author: Adam Gendźwiłł
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2022
Genre: Local elections
ISBN: 9781032194882

"The Routledge Handbook of Local Elections and Voting in Europe represents the standard reference text and practical resource for everybody who analyses issues as local electoral systems, voting behavior or political representation in Europe. It provides comprehensive and expert coverage of 40 European countries - organized along the respective local state traditions - and in addressing a wide range of important questions related to local elections and voting, broadens the scope of existing analyses quantitatively as well as qualitatively. Finally, it affords a more theoretically grounded typology of local elections and voting. Each country chapter is written by a leading expert and follows a rigorous conceptual framework for cross-national comparisons, providing an overview of the local government system, details on the place of local elections within the multi-level political system, specific features of the electoral system, analysis of the main electoral outcomes in the recent decades and finally reflective discussion. Representative democracy is as widespread at the local as at the national level, and as the significance of local authorities in Europe increased in the recent decades, local elections represent a crucial area of study. The Routledge Handbook of Local Elections and Voting in Europe is an authoritative and essential reference text for scholars and students interested in local electoral politics, and more broadly European studies, public administration and political science"--

The Campaign Manager

The Campaign Manager
Author: Catherine Shaw
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 338
Release: 2018-03-13
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 042995882X

Everything you need to know about Vote by Mail! Successful campaign manager and three-term mayor of Ashland, Oregon, Catherine Shaw presents the must-have handbook for navigating local campaigns. This clear and concise handbook gives political novices and veterans alike a detailed, soup-to-nuts plan for organizing, funding, publicizing, and winning local political campaigns. Finding the right message and targeting the right voters are clearly explained through specific examples, anecdotes, and illustrations. Shaw also provides in-depth information on assembling campaign teams and volunteers, canvassing, how to conduct a precinct analysis, and how to campaign on a shoestring budget. The Campaign Manager is an encouraging, lucid presentation of how to win elections at the local level.The sixth edition has been fully revised to include new and expanded coverage of contemporary campaign management-from digital ads and new social media tools to data-driven voter targeting tactics and vote by mail strategies.

Early Voting’s Impact on US Local Elections

Early Voting’s Impact on US Local Elections
Author: Gayle A. Alberda
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2025-04-25
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9783030303785

Voter turnout in local elections is paradoxical. It is where government is closest to those governed and where many first become politically active; yet, it is also where political participation in the form of voting is the lowest. If high participation is an indicator of a healthy democracy, then what can be done to increase participation at the local level? Early voting has long been perceived to increase voter turnout, and there is evidence to suggest that early voting does have an impact on turnout. A majority of early voting scholarship, however, focuses on turnout at the national or state level. What is not clear is how early voting influences turnout at the local level. In the wake of partisan controversy surrounding early voting policies and the reduction of early voting periods in many states, it is important to understand the impact of such policies on all types of elections. Localities are the bedrock of American democracy. Understanding what factors could increase turnout at the local level—where it is devastatingly low—provides valuable insight on local participation, election administration, and early voting laws for scholars and decision-makers alike.

Parties and Elections in America

Parties and Elections in America
Author: Sandy L. Maisel
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 564
Release: 2009-11-16
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1442201037

This book covers all elements of parties and the electoral process, including local, state, and national party organizations; American party history and party systems; state and local nominations; state and local elections; presidential nominations; and presidential elections. Separate chapters are devoted to the important subjects of the media in the electoral process and campaign finance. The role of political parties in representative democracy_and their contributions to it_are examined critically. This post-election update includes complete data from 2008 and an updated chapter on campaign finance.

Finding Common Ground

Finding Common Ground
Author: Zoltan Hajnal
Publisher: Public Policy Instit. of CA
Total Pages: 85
Release: 2001
Genre: California
ISBN: 1582130337