Politics of Congressional Elections, The - Hardcover

Gary Jacobson's classic text provides students with a comprehensive introduction to congressional elections and the electoral process. Based on the latest data from the National Election Study, the Cooperative Congressional Elections Study, and the Federal Election Commission, the Ninth Edition has been brought completely up to date, including coverage and analysis of the 2012 and 2014 elections. New coauthor, Professor Jamie L. Carson of the University of Georgia, brings to bear new insights into the changing roles of voters, Congress, political parties, and the media. Pairing historical data analysis and original research with fundamental concepts of representation and responsibility, The Politics of Congressional Elections presents students with the tools to evaluate representative government, as well as their own role in the electoral process.

Gary C. Jacobson is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of California, San Diego. He received his PhD from Yale University and has served on the Council of the American Political Science Association and on the Board of Overseers of National Election Studies. Jacobson's field of interest is American national politics, with a subfield focus on Congress and congressional elections, and his current research is on the electoral basis of partisan polarization in Congress. Among books he has authored or coauthored are Money in Congressional Elections, The Electoral Origins of Divided Government, and The Logic of American Politics. Jamie L. Carson is Professor of Political Science at the University of Georgia. He received his PhD from Michigan State University, where he was a fellow in the Political Institutions and Public Choice Program, now located at Duke University. Carson's research interests include American politics with a specific emphasis on the U.S. Congress, congressional elections, separation of powers, and American political development. His most recent book (coauthored with Jason Roberts) is Ambition, Competition, and Electoral Reform: The Politics of Congressional Elections Across Time.