Includes bibliographical references (p. [285]-289) and index.
Contents
Introduction -- Pennsylvania then and now -- A century of electors -- Legislative elections -- Legislative careerism -- Statewide elections -- Primary elections -- Patterns of partisanship -- In perspective -- Postscript.
Summary
The most comprehensive state election study ever undertaken, "Elections in Pennsylvania" provides data and analysis for more than 13,000 general elections and more than 6,000 primary elections held in the state between 1900 and 1998, with a postscript examining in less detail the elections of 2000 and 2002. Included are all elections for president, governor, U.S. senators and representatives, statewide offices, and members of the General Assembly. The extensive period of time covered allows the author to provide an important historical perspective on electoral trends, distinguishing what are genuinely new developments in electoral dynamics and voting behavior in recent decades from what are continuations of patterns earlier in the century.
Chapters: 1.Pennsylvania Then And Now/ 2. A Century of Elections/ 3. Legislative Elections/ 4. Legislative Careerism/ 5. Statewide Elections/ 6. Primary Elections/ 7. Patterns of Partisanship/ 8. In Perspective/ 9. Postscript
The 1850s saw in America the breakdown of the Jacksonian party system in the North and the emergence of a new sectional party--the Republicans--that succeeded the Whigs in the nation's two-party system. This monumental work uses demographic, voting, and other statistical analysis as well as the more traditional methods and sources of political history to trace the realignment of American politics in the 1850s and the birth of the Republican party. Gienapp powerfully demonstrates that the organization of the Republican party was a difficult, complex, and lengthy process and explains why, even after an inauspicious beginning, it ultimately became a potent political force. The study also reveals the crucial role of ethnocultural factors in the collapse of the second party system and thoroughly analyzes the struggle between nativism and antislavery for political dominance in the North. The volume concludes with the decisive triumph of the Republican party over the rival American party in the 1856 presidential election. Far-reaching in scope yet detailed in analysis, this is the definitive work on the formation of the Republican party in antebellum America. ... Publisher descri[ption.
Editor's introduction -- Preface and acknowledgements -- Introduction: Pennsylvania presidential politics -- The Democrats emerge: the 1930s -- The Republicans revitalize: the 1940s -- The transitional decade: the 1950s -- The competitive state: the 1960s -- The split decision: the 1970s -- The new political order: the 1980s -- The Democrats take control: the 1990s -- Elections in the twenty-first century -- Conclusion -- Table: Pennsylvania presidential elections, 1932-2004 -- Notes -- Suggestions for further reading and bibliography.
Summary
Each presidential election year, it has become common to hear Pennsylvania described as a "battleground state." How and why did such competitive politics take shape? When did Pennsylvania become so pivotal in electing the president of the United States? In this volume, one of the state's leading political analysts answers these questions by taking readers behind the scenes of convention dramas and onto the campaign trail as national candidates and favorite sons vie for support. This authoritative, richly detailed history by G. Terry Madonna traces the evolution of presidential politics in Pennsylvania from FDR to the twenty-first century. [from the publisher]
"Explores electoral changes in Pennsylvania since 1960, finding that the recent "culture-wars realignment" has significantly altered the old New Deal party system, especially since the early 1990s. Contains illustrations plotting political alignment of Pennsylvania counties"--Provided by publisher.
