Political Behavior of the American Electorate

The 2012 elections took place in a time of intense party polarization and a weak economy, yet the incumbent president won reelection. How did Obama pull off his victory? New authors Elizabeth Theiss-Morse and Michael Wagner continue the tradition of Flanigan and Zingale by using American National Election Study data to provide a thorough analysis of the 2012 elections and of American political behavior more generally. The authors explore get-out-the-vote efforts and the reasons people voted the way they did, as well as the nature and impact of partisanship, issues, and news media coverage in 2012—all with an eye toward understanding the trends that led up to the election.