Matthew J. Burbank is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Utah. He teaches classes on American politics, elections, and research methods.Ronald J. Hrebenar is Professor of Political Science at the University of Utah. He is the author, editor, or coeditor of twelve books and more than sixty articles and chapters on interest groups, lobbying, political parties, and elections in the United States and Japan.Robert C. Benedict is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Utah, where he regularly teaches courses on American politics, public policy, and the legislative process.

• List of Tables, Figures, and Boxes ; Preface ; 1. An Introduction to Parties, Interest Groups, and Campaigns ; The Changing Nature of American Political Campaigns ; The Study of Parties, Interest Groups, and Campaigns ; 2. The Development of Political Parties in America ; The First Parties ; The Mass Party Era ; The Reform of Political Parties ; Party Organizations in the Modern Era ; Conclusion: The Changing Nature of American Political Parties ; 3. The Organization of Contemporary American Parties ; Party Activists ; State and Local Parties ; National Parties ; Conclusion: Contemporary Parties and the Service Party Role ; 4. The American Electoral System ; Electoral Systems ; Nominations ; The Electoral College ; Conclusion: The Impact of Electoral Rules ; 5. The American Electorate ; Political Participation in the United States ; Turnout: Who Votes? ; Vote Choice: How Do Voters Decide? ; Conclusion: The Nature of American Political Participation ; 6. Campaign Finance ; Campaign Finance and Public Decision Making ; Skyrocketing Campaign Costs or Underfunded Campaigns? ; Reform Goals and Campaign Finance Laws ; Campaign Finance Laws and the Courts: A Tumultuous Relationship ; Political Parties and Campaign Finance Law: Assessing the Impact ; The Rise and Impact of 501(c) and 527 Groups ; Public Funding and Presidential Campaigns ; Campaign Finance and the States ; Conclusion: The State of Campaign Finance ; 7. Campaigns and Political Parties ; The Purposes and Impacts of Campaigns ; The Changing Roles of Parties in Campaigns ; The Candidate: Recruitment and Motivation ; Campaign Organization and Management ; The Campaign Manager ; Designing the Campaign Message ; Transmitting the Campaign Message: The Rise of Social Media and the American Party System ; The Impact of Negative Campaigning ; Political Parties as Campaign Specialists ; Conclusion: A New Balance for Parties and Campaigns ; 8. Interest Group Politics ; What Causes Interest Groups to Form? ; Political Science and Group Theory ; Leadership and Interest Group Power ; Internal Organizational Strength and Lobbying Power ; The Nature of Interest Group Membership in the United States ; Lobbying Resources Derived from Membership Characteristics ; 9. Interest Groups and Campaigns ; The <"Total War>" Campaign of Health Care Reform ; Interest Groups Seek to Mold Public Opinion in Media Campaigns ; Grassroots Interest Group Issue Campaigns ; Interest Group Campaigns Against Parties and Candidates ; Interest Group Efforts in Party Campaigns ; Interest Group Campaigns in Initiatives and Referenda ; Conclusion: The Role of Campaigns in Linking Political Parties and Interest Groups ; 10. Interest Group Lobbying ; The Lobbying Profession ; The Lobbyist's Role in Political Issue Campaigns ; Lobbyists and Lobbying Campaign Tactics ; Lobby Campaigns as Information Presentations ; Restrictions on Lobbying in the Federal Government ; Judicial Lobbying Campaigns ; Conclusion: The Persistence of Lobbying and the Nature of American Politics ; Conclusion ; The New Nature of American Political Parties ; The New Nature of American Interest Group Politics ; Glossary ; References ; Index