Description
Book SynopsisUsing classic theories to explain individuals' political decisions, this volume examines what influences these decisions. Supported by the research of the Columbia school of electoral sociology, this view is contrasted with rational choice theory and the Michigan school of electoral analysis. Written by a range of political scientists, this volume advances theory and method in the study of political behavior and returns the social logic of politics to the heart of political science.
Trade Review"This book is very much needed and should be considered by all scholars and researchers engaged in the study of public opinion, political influence, and voting behavior. The Social Logic of Politics is a dazzling gift for all those that (still) think that politics is social. All at once, it sharpens core theoretical principles, updates the state of the art, and opens an intriguing research agenda... the book retains an overall coherence." Contemporary Sociology "Overall, this is an important collection of essays...an essential read." Perspectives on Politics "Zuckerman's book is a necessary addition to the collection of any scholar of public opinion and political participation, regardless of regional interest. The methods used throughout the articles are varied, and some are innovative...This book is a syllabus-worthy critique of the Michigan School, and should be considered by all students and scholars of political behavior." Journal of Politics "This cross-disciplinary work encouragingly demonstrates that sociological ideas have a home outside the formal bounds of the discipline...The Social Logic of Politics lays out a course for the application of sociological theory to formal political behavior." Social Forces
Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: Theoretical and Methodological Context 1. Alan S. Zuckerman, Returning to the Social Logic of Politics. 2. Robert Huckfeldt, Paul Johnson, and John Sprague, Individuals, Dyads and Networks: Autoregressive Patterns of Political Influence. I - Families as Sources of Strong Political Ties 3. Laura Stoker and M. Kent Jennings, Political Similarity and Influence between Husbands and Wives. 4. Alan S. Zuckerman, Jennifer Fitzgerald, and Josip Dasovic, Do Couples Support the same Political Parties? Sometimes. Evidence from British and German Panel Surveys. 5. Sidney Verba, Kay Schlozman, and Nancy Burns, Family Ties: Understanding the Intergenerational Transmission of Political Participation. II Friends, Workmates, Neighbors, and Political Contexts: the effects of weak ties on electoral choices and political participation 6. Ulrich Kohler, Changing Class Locations and Partisanship in Germany. 7. Jeffrey Levine, Choosing Alone? The Social Network Basis of Modern Political Choice.8. Laurence Kotler-Berkowitz, Friends and Politics: Linking Friendship Diversity to Political Participation. 9. Ann Chih Lin, Networks, Gender and the Use of State Authority: Evidence from a Study of Arab Immigrants in Detroit. 10. Ron Johnston and Charles Pattie, Putting Voters in their Places: Local Context and Voting in England and Wales, 1997. 11. James Gimpel, and J. Celeste Lay, Party Identification, Local Partisan Contexts and the Acquisition of Participatory Attitudes. 12. Christopher Anderson and Aida Paskeviciute, Macro-Politics and Micro-Behavior: Mainstream Politics and the Frequency of Political Discussion in Contemporary Democracies. III. The Social Logic of Politics: Looking Ahead 13. Paul Johnson and Robert Huckfeldt, Agent-Based Explanations for the Survival of Disagreement in Social Networks. 14. James Fowler, Turnout in a Small World.
