State of the Parties 2018

John C. Green is Distinguished Professor of Political Science and director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at The University of Akron. Daniel J. Coffey is associate professor of political science at The University of Akron and a fellow in the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics. He has published in State Politics and Policy Quarterly. He studies political parties, public opinion, state and local politics, campaigns and elections, and research methods. David B. Cohen is professor of political science and fellow in the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at The University of Akron.

• List of TablesList of FiguresAcknowledgmentsChapter 1. The State of the Parties: Change and Continuity in 2016, by Daniel J. Coffey, David B. Cohen, and John C. GreenPart One: State of the PartiesChapter 2. Failing Party Organizations: Lessons from the 2016 Election, by Mildred A. SchwartzChapter 3. Party Blobs and Partisan Visions: Making Sense of our Hollow Parties, by Daniel Schlozman and Sam RosenfeldChapter 4. Saving Democracy from Elections?, by Daniel M. SheaPart Two: Party ActivistsChapter 5. The Power of a Narrative: Donald Trump (and the Republicans), by Jeffrey M. StonecashChapter 6. “The Mandate of the People:” The 2016 Sanders Campaign in Context, by Julia Azari and Seth MasketChapter 7. State Party Activism in 2016, by Daniel J. CoffeyChapter 8. #Polarized2016: Affective Campaign Rhetoric and Mass Polarization in Social Media, by Eric C. VorstPart Three: Party NominationsChapter 9. The State of the Primaries 2016, by Drew KurlowskiChapter 10. Perception of the Parties and the 2016 Presidential Nominations, by Caitlin E. JewittChapter 11. Populist Waves in the 2016 Presidential Nominations: Another Limit to the Party Decides Thesis, by Wayne StegerPart Four: Party in ElectorateChapter 12. Political Identity and Party Polarization in the American Electorate, by David C. Kimball, Joseph Anthony, and Tyler ChanceChapter 13. The Angry American Voter: Negative Partisanship, Voter Anger, and the 2016 Presidential Election, by Alan I. Abramowitz and Steven W. WebsterChapter 14. The Role of the Populists in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election and Beyond, by Edward G. Carmines, Michael J. Ensley, and Michael W. WagnerPart Five: Party ResourcesChapter 15. The 2016 Money Race: The Limits of Campaign Money, and the Nature of Popular Love for the Presidential Candidates, by Robin KolodnyChapter 16. Everything is Relative: Are Political Parties Playing a Meaningful Campaign Finance Role in the U.S. Federal Elections?, by Diana DwyreChapter 17. The Impact of Organization Characteristics on Super PAC Financing, by Paul S. Herrnson, Jennifer A. Heerwig, and Douglas M. SpencerChapter 18. What Happened to the Ground Game in 2016?, by Paul A. Beck, Richard Gunther, and Erik NisbetReferencesIndexAbout the Contributors

The key question inspiring much of the essays' discussion and post-election analysis is what went wrong, particularly with polling. Noting change and continuity, the essays persuasively illustrate that beyond recent controversial reports, American political parties continue to be vibrant and dynamic institutions.