When it comes to elections, campaigns matter. And despite the ever-increasing role of volunteers and amateurs, modern American political campaigns are a professional affair. Understanding how they are run and how campaign strategies are set requires an in-depth analysis of what political consultants do, from opposition research to public opinion polling and from directing media strategies to mobilzing voters--with fundraising a priority at all stages. At all levels of the electoral arena, modern, sophisticated campaigns cannot hope to be effective without the guiding disciplines of professional consultants. This thoroughly updated edition of Dennis W. Johnson's classic text, originally titled No Place for Amateurs, highlights the growing importance of social media, targeting and analytics, Super PACs and dark money in a post-Citizens United world.

Product Description: They had 99 problems but Mitt Romney wasn't one. At the start of an epic election, the team trying to reelect President Obama faced a mountain of challenges: a dismal economy, the faded hopes of the first campaign, and a struggle to raise enough cash to compete...read more

Product Description: A unique empirical and theoretical analysis of political consultants and how they achieve electoral success for their candidates

Product Description: American voters will be empowered by this revealing, behind-the-scene exposé of the marketing strategies and tactics political candidates use to win their hearts, minds, donations, and votes.• "Promise meters" with which to evaluate candidate campaign promises and marketing strategies• Charts and tables that summarize information about political marketing, including presidential campaign slogans, political fundraising regulations, and results• Sidebars highlighting campaign quotes and calling out key points • Enlightening, chapter-by-chapter summaries of lessons learned to empower voters to resist political campaign marketing manipulatio...read more

Product Description: So much has changed during the past decade in political campaigning that we can almost say "it's a whole new ball game." This book analyzes the way campaigns were traditionally run and the extraordinary changes that have occurred in the last decade...read more

Shea and Burton present an updated and expanded version of Shea's 1996 guide to and analysis of modern American political campaign communication. They cover all aspects of present-day political campaigns, from understanding the context of a particular campaign to strategic thinking to specific voter contact techniques.Shea and Burton present an updated and expanded version of Shea's 1996 guide to and analysis of modern American political campaign communication. Bringing to bear both academic and professional experience, they cover all aspects of present-day political campaigns from understanding the context of a particular campaign (national trends, the media market, demographic research, etc.) to strategic thinking (developing an overall theme and strategy), and to specific voter contact techniques (the tactical use of fundraising, paid media, free media--including the Internet--and get-out- the-vote drives).Throughout the text, Shea and Burton's discussion and analysis is peppered with examples from national, state- level, and local campaigns. This comprehensive guide is must reading for all those interested in the campaign process, including candidates and political activists as well as scholars, researchers, and students involved with American politics and political communication.

Incorporating insights drawn from the 2002 campaign season, Herrnson (government and politics, U. of Maryland) updates his textbook looking at the role of congressional elections in American politics. Issues of voter choice, candidate presentation, and campaign reform receive attention. The impact o

Product Description: In this day of relentless political partisanship, is it possible to win elections and still act from a place of character and conscience? In Winning Without Compromising...Yourself, nine political coaches say the answer is an unqualified "YES...read more

Product Description: ALERT: Before you purchase, check with your instructor or review your course syllabus to ensure that you select the correct ISBN. Several versions of Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products exist for each title, including customized versions for individual schools, and registrations are not transferable...read more