
This Work Is A Study Of Antiparty Reforms And Why They Fail. Numerous Reform Movements Over The Past Century Have Designated Parties As The Enemy Of Democracy, And They Have Found A Willing Ally In The American People In Their Efforts To Rein In And Occasionally Root Out Parties. The Text Investigates Several Of These Antiparty Reform Efforts - From Open Primaries To Campaign Finance Restrictions To Nonpartisan Legislatures - Using Legislative Roll Call Votes, Campaign Donations Patterns, And Extensive Interviews With Local Political Elites. Fixing Politics -- Parties And Reforms -- Somebody's Gotta Go: Campaign Finance In Colorado -- Polarization Without Parties: Nebraska And The Nonpartisan Legislature -- The Nonpartisan Legislature In Minnesota -- The California Recall: A Sprint With No Primary -- Wisconsin's Adoption Of The Direct Primary -- Quit Fixing It: You're Only Making It Worse. Seth E. Masket. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.
This book investigates why repeated attempts to dismantle or weaken the American political party system have consistently failed and argues that these reforms often produce unintended consequences that undermine democratic health. Seth Masket, a professor of political science, utilizes a combination of historical analysis and empirical data to examine the motivations behind antiparty movements. He posits that political parties serve essential functions in organizing governance and that efforts to bypass them frequently result in increased polarization and reduced accountability. The text challenges the common perception that parties are inherently detrimental to the democratic process.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Political scientists and policy analysts frequently cite this work for its rigorous empirical approach to understanding the structural role of parties in American governance. Experts highlight the text as a necessary counter-narrative to popular reformist rhetoric, noting that the prose remains accessible while maintaining high academic standards.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
2016-04-29
Publisher:
Oxford University Press, Incorporated
ISBN-10:
0190608447
ISBN-13:
9780190608446
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