xx Preface
system era begins and ends with the election of a transformative
president or, in Skowronek’s terms, a reconstituting president.
Th e American Political Party System: A Reference Handbook
follows the format of the ABC-CLIO series of Contemporary
World Issues.
Chapter 1 presents the background and history of the Amer-
ican political party system, from the founding to present time.
It aims to provide the reader with the basic information needed
to understand the subject, key contemporary issues, and dif-
ferent points of view. Chapter 2 is an analysis of problems,
controversies, and possible solutions of the current American
political party system up to and including the presidential elec-
tion of 2016. It acknowledges all sides of the issue in a bal-
anced, unbiased treatment of the topic.
Chapter 3 presents 10 original essays by scholars and activ-
ists involved in the issue, off ering voices that supplement the
expertise and perspective of the author. Th ey are contributed
by other scholars and by political activists on the front line
of political party competition today, narrating their personal
activism and motivation. Chapter 4 provides profi les of key or-
ganizations and people involved in the political party and elec-
tions discourse. It describes more than 60 such organizations
and provides brief bio-sketches of 70 persons who are major ac-
tors in American elections and the political party competition
over them. Chapter 5 presents annotated tables, graphs, and
fi gures and annotated synopses of primary source documents,
such as laws and court cases, which have impacted political
party competition and party development in America. Chap-
ter 6 is a resource chapter, divided into print and nonprint
sources for further research: academic books, fi lms, videos, and
relevant scholarly journals. Chapter 7 lists a chronology of key
moments in the history of American elections and political
party development. Th e book closes with a glossary providing
easy access to defi nitions of the key terms related to the topic,
followed by a comprehensive index.
system era begins and ends with the election of a transformative
president or, in Skowronek’s terms, a reconstituting president.
Th e American Political Party System: A Reference Handbook
follows the format of the ABC-CLIO series of Contemporary
World Issues.
Chapter 1 presents the background and history of the Amer-
ican political party system, from the founding to present time.
It aims to provide the reader with the basic information needed
to understand the subject, key contemporary issues, and dif-
ferent points of view. Chapter 2 is an analysis of problems,
controversies, and possible solutions of the current American
political party system up to and including the presidential elec-
tion of 2016. It acknowledges all sides of the issue in a bal-
anced, unbiased treatment of the topic.
Chapter 3 presents 10 original essays by scholars and activ-
ists involved in the issue, off ering voices that supplement the
expertise and perspective of the author. Th ey are contributed
by other scholars and by political activists on the front line
of political party competition today, narrating their personal
activism and motivation. Chapter 4 provides profi les of key or-
ganizations and people involved in the political party and elec-
tions discourse. It describes more than 60 such organizations
and provides brief bio-sketches of 70 persons who are major ac-
tors in American elections and the political party competition
over them. Chapter 5 presents annotated tables, graphs, and
fi gures and annotated synopses of primary source documents,
such as laws and court cases, which have impacted political
party competition and party development in America. Chap-
ter 6 is a resource chapter, divided into print and nonprint
sources for further research: academic books, fi lms, videos, and
relevant scholarly journals. Chapter 7 lists a chronology of key
moments in the history of American elections and political
party development. Th e book closes with a glossary providing
easy access to defi nitions of the key terms related to the topic,
followed by a comprehensive index.
