The Electorate, the Campaign, and the Office

About this book

"Paul Gronke's study compares electoral contexts, campaigns, and voter decision making in House and Senate elections. Gronke offers new insights into how differences and similarities across offices structure American elections." "Gronke first looks at differences in congressional districts and states, showing that context does not really help us understand why Senate elections feature better candidates, higher spending, and closer outcomes. Next, he turns to campaigns.". "Gronke also considers House and Senate voting behavior. Focusing on the 1988 and 1990 elections, he argues that voters do not distinguish between institutions, applying fundamentally the same decision rule regardless of the office being contested. Gronke closes by considering the implications of his results for the way we relate settings, electoral dynamics, and institutional arrangements."--BOOK JACKET.