3 Review(s)

The next revolution in campaign strategy is upon us: shifting from party-driven to candidate-driven, and now to voter-driven. The 2012 election campaigns bring new innovations that have made campaigns more mobile and more integrated, and allow candidates to reach voters with ever more targeted messages. Tactics such as web fundraising and get out the vote drives via smartphones are changing how candidates advertise, ask for money, interact with the media, coordinate with party organizations, and leverage interest group support. What do these new strategies mean for the democratic process and governance? Helping students make sense of how and why campaigns are changing, this thoroughly updated second edition focuses on evaluating current trends and assesses how campaigns are making cutting-edge changes-on the presidential, congressional and, gubernatorial levels. New coverage in this edition includes: a brand-new chapter examines how the presence of women in campaigns is changing the campaign dynamic; a brand-new chapter on minorities looks at how African-Americans, Asian Americans and Latino groups and candidates are utilizing new technologies to maximize participation; a brand-new chapter on redistricting explains how the political map will be shifting in 2012-and how that shift will affect candidate and party strategies for both the presidential and House elections; an exploration of how social media-such as twitter and facebook-has become as important as "traditional" new media (i.e. websites) for candidates and campaigns; an examination of how formerly distinct campaign techniques for fundraising, media, polling, and voter mobilization are converging; and a look at how the Citizens United v. FEC decision will impact the issue agenda in campaigns.