Congressional Elections: Campaigning at Home and in Washington

Combining top-notch research with real-world politics, this sixth edition provides a thorough and evenhanded assessment of congressional campaigns and elections. Herrnson s popular book argues that successful candidates run two campaigns: one for votes, the other for resources. Using campaign finance data, original survey research, and hundreds of interviews with candidates and political insiders, Herrnson looks at how this dual strategy affects who wins and ultimately the entire electoral system.

New coverage includes: cases studies from the 2010 midterm elections; the impact of the Tea Party on fundraising and election outcomes; the effect of the Citizens United and other recent cases on corporate, trade association, and labor union spending; the fundraising advantages, strategies, and spending practices of different interest group entities PACs, Super PACs, 527s, and 501(C)s; the pervasive use of social media and Internet campaigns to raise money, communicate with voters, and recruit volunteers at low cost.