Change and Continuity in the 2020 and 2022 Elections

Is America in the midst of an electoral transformation? What were the sources of Joseph Biden’s victory in 2020, and how do they differ from Republican and Democratic coalitions of the past? Does the Democratic victory signal a long-term decline for Republicans’ chances in presidential elections? Change and Continuity in the 2020 and 2022 Elections explores those questions by analyzing and explaining the voting behavior in the most recent elections, as well as setting the results in the context of larger trends and patterns in elections studies. This top-notch author team meticulously explains the latest National Election Studies data and discuss its importance and impact. Readers will critically analyze a variety of variables such as the presidential and congressional elections, voter turnout, and the social forces, party loyalties, and prominent issues that affect voting behavior. Readers will come away with a better understanding of the 2020 and 2022 elections and what the results mean for the future of American politics.

Table of Contents:
Preface Ackowledgements Introduction Part I: The 2020 Presidential Election Chapter 1: The Nomination Struggle Chapter 2: The General Election Campaign Chapter 3: The Election Results Part II: Voting Behavior in the 2020 Presidential Election Chapter 4: Who Voted? Chapter 5: Social Forces and the Vote Chapter 6: Party Loyalties and the Vote Chapter 7: Candidates, Issues, and the Vote Chapter 8: Presidential Performance and Candidate Choice Part III: The 2020 and 2022 Congressional Elections Chapter 9: Candidates and Outcomes in 2020 Chapter 10: The Congressional Electorate in 2020 Chapter 11: The 2022 Congressional Elections Part IV: The 2020 and 2022 Elections in Perspective Chapter 12: The 2020 and 2022 Elections and the Future of American Politics Chapter 13: The Dynamics of American Elections

About the Author :
John H. Aldrich is Pfizer-Pratt University Professor of Political Science at Duke University. He is author of Why Parties? A Second Look (2011) and Before the Convention (1980) and coeditor of Positive Changes in Political Science (2007), and he has also published numerous articles, chapters, and edited collections. He is past president of the Southern Political Science Association, the Midwest Political Science Association, and the American Political Science Association. Jamie L. Carson is the UGA Athletic Professor of Political Science at the University of Georgia. His research interests include congressional politics and elections, American political development, and separation of powers. He is coauthor of Ambition, Competition, and Electoral Reform (2013), Electoral Incentives in Congress (2018), and The Politics of Congressional Elections (2020). He has published articles in the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, Legislative Studies Quarterly,and other journals. Brad T. Gomez is associate professor and chair of political science at Florida State Univer­sity. His research interests focus on voting behavior and public opinion, with a particular interest in how citizens attribute responsibility for sociopolitical events. His published work has appeared in the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, and other journals and edited volumes. Jennifer L. Merolla is professor of political science at the University of California, Riverside. Her research focuses on how the political environment influences public opinion, evaluations of political leaders, and voting behavior. She is coauthor of Democracy at Risk: How Terrorist Threats Affect the Public (2009), Framing Immigrants: News Coverage, Public Opinion and Policy (2016), and coeditor of The Hillary Effect: Perspectives on Clinton’s Legacy (2020). Her published work has appeared in the American Political Science Review, Journal of Politics, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and other journals and edited volumes.

Review :
Change and Continuity in the 2020 and 2022 Elections provides a valuable and comprehensive account of the American electorate. Change and Continuity in the 2020 and 2022 Elections is a welcome addition to this classic series of election studies. Like its predecessors, it provides astute and informative analyses of the most recent national elections that are thoroughly grounded in both American electoral history and the political science literature. In addition to offering students a sophisticated introduction to the study of elections, it will inform anyone looking for a deeper understanding of the electoral currents shaping contemporary American politics. Change and Continuity in the 2020 & 2022 Elections is a phenomenal resource for both teachers and students of American politics. With rich aggregate and individual-level data sources, it is a marvelous combination of both the contemporary and the historical. It tells the important story of the American political experience especially from the view of voters and explores the dynamic nature of public opinion for over eight decades. Packed with valuable information, this updated edition is a must-have for American political scholars. The 2022 election, like 2020, 2016, and so many other recent contests, surprised many observers. But the authors of the latest update in this series draw on persistent patterns of American politics and well-established trends to show the continuity underlying apparent changes. Change and Continuity in the 2020 and 2022 Elections makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of American elections. The authors adeptly showcase both the new and the familiar, shedding light on the particularities of recent elections while highlighting the persistence of longstanding trends in American politics.