Conventional Wisdom and American Elections

Dr. Jody C Baumgartner is the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of Political Science at East Carolina University. He has numerous books, authored and edited, to his credit. In 2017, he edited The Internet and the 2016 Presidential Campaign with Terri Towner, and in 2018, Political Humor in a Changing Media Landscape: A New Generation of Research with Amy Becker. He has also written or collaborated on numerous articles and book chapters on political humor, the vice presidency, and other subjects. Dr. Peter L. Francia is the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Director of the Center for Survey Research and is professor in the Department of Political Science at East Carolina University. He is the author of numerous academic publications on various topics related to American elections. His books include The Financiers of Congressional Elections: Investors, Ideologues, and Intimates, co-authored with John C. Green, Paul S. Herrnson, Lynda W. Powell, and Clyde Wilcox; The Future of Organized Labor in American Politics; and the volume, Guide to Interest Groups and Lobbying in the United States, co-edited with Burdett A. Loomis and Dara Z. Strolovitch. Dr. Francia's insights on American politics have been included in the press accounts of national media outlets including CNN, National Public Radio, and the Wall Street Journal.

List of Illustrations Introduction Chapter 1. The 'Independent' and 'Swing' Voter Myth v. the Reality of Mobilizing the Base Chapter 2. To Vote or Not to Vote: Three Myths about Voter Turnout Chapter 3. End of the Two Party System? The Myth of the Rise of Third Parties Chapter 4. Buying Elections? Campaign Finance Law and Money's Influence in Elections and Politics Chapter 5. The Veepstakes: Balancing the Ticket and Other Myths about Vice Presidential Selection Chapter 6. Mudslinging 101: Have Presidential Campaigns Really Become Nastier? Chapter 7. Where Have You Gone, Walter Cronkite? The 'News' Just Ain't What It Used To Be Chapter 8. Game Changer? Misconceptions about the Significance of Presidential Debates Chapter 9. Science or Voodoo? Misconceptions about National Election Polls Chapter 10. May the Best Man Win? The Illusion of Competitive Congressional Elections Chapter 11. The American People Have Spoken'...Or Have They? The Myth of the Presidential Mandate Index About the Authors