Mandates, Parties, and Voters

• 1. Introduction; 2. Moving with the Mandate: Policy-Motivated Parties in Dynamic Political Competition; 3. Dynamic Responsiveness in the U.S. Senate; 4. Dynamic Parties and Social Turnout; 5. A Dynamic Calculus of Voting; 6. Party Responsiveness and Mandate Balancing; 7. Patience and Turnout; 8. Markets and Mandates; 9. Conclusion

"In this intriguing book, James Fowler and Oleg Smirnov propose a dynamic model of electoral competition in which 'mandates,' that is, margins of victory, play a central role...This is an impressive study. The authors present an interesting blend of formal theory and inductive reasoning...There is little technical jargon and the presentation is simple and clear. The study is most impressive in its display of an amazing variety of methodological approaches...The message of the book is far from trivial... In short, this is a thoughtful and provocative book." -Perspectives on Politics