Description
Book SynopsisAmerica is so ethnically, geographically, socially, and spiritually diverse that a book on party strength in any other country would be less complex. The American state of democracy, however, is a pastiche of culture, economics, and community. Fractured Parties is a walk through America's history of political parties, and the difficulty they have in wrangling their candidates today. Parties were never part of the founding fathers' vision for the country, and yet they developed and remained following George Washington's presidency. American political parties have experienced weak and strong periods, often depending on the political climate in the United States. Parties have lived through four economic stages in America: pre-revolutionary, post-revolutionary, industrial, and the current post-industrial age. These stages of the economy are closely related to how Americans participate in the political process. Are parties weaker today than they have ever been before? Some scholars will say
Trade ReviewIn a very timely and thought-provoking book, Anthony Stasi describes and analyzes the weakening of the political parties and the serious consequences of this development. If you want to understand how unconventional candidates such as Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have taken hold of primary voters and changed American politics, Fractured Parties has the answers. -- Mark Rozell, George Mason University
A thoughtful inquiry of the political fragmentation in our country today could not be more timely. I trust that the rigorous analysis and provocative conclusions proposed by Stasi will not fall on deaf ears among pundits, policy-makers, and academics. This book deserves our close study. -- Enrique S. Pumar, Catholic University of America
Anthony Stasi’s work provides a fascinating account of how the influence of political parties has been fundamentally altered, as well as an in-depth analysis of the factors behind this shift in power. Along with clearly illustrating the historical ebb and flow of political party control, his account also provides some terrific insights into where party influence is headed in the future. -- James Ronan, Villanova University
Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: Modern Parties Are Weaker…By Modern Standards Chapter 1: What Is A Strong Party? Chapter 2: The Numbers Don’t Add Up: Parties Are Losing Steam Chapter 3: Strong Presidency + Weak Congress = Weaker Parties Chapter 4: It’s Money That Matters Chapter 5: Ways To Make Parties Relevant With Voters Chapter 6: Post Industrial America and Parties Afterword
