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Making Sense of the 2016 Elections
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How did Donald Trump secure the Republican nomination when nearly all the available research suggested it should have been impossible? What can we learn about the factors that drove turnout among key voting blocs? And what issues did voters find important in 2016?

Get a big picture understanding of what happened in the 2016 elections and why. Designed to be used as a supplement to American politics texts, this brief overview from Brian Schaffner and John Clark provides a concise analysis, going beyond horserace journalism, and gives students an accessible insight into political scientists' view of this ground breaking election. Students will benefit from seeing how broader political science concepts apply to a campaign and election that is fresh in their minds. Whether packaged with another SAGE | CQ Press title or used on its own, Schaffner and Clark’s Making Sense of the 2016 Elections will give your students the key insight they need.

 
Introduction
 
The Electoral Landscape in 2016
 
Choosing the Presidential Nominees
The Invisible Primary

 
The Democratic Party Decides on Clinton

 
The Republican Party Decides Not to Decide

 
 
The General Election Campaign
The Case for Thinking the Campaign Mattered

 
The Case for Thinking the Campaign Was of Minimal Importance

 
Campaigns Are Mostly about Mobilization

 
 
The Outcome
Another Electoral College/Popular Vote Split

 
Where the Election Was Won

 
How Key Groups Voted

 
Why People Voted for Trump

 
 
The Battle for Control of Congress
How Republicans Kept the Senate Red

 
Why Republicans Retained Their House Majority

 
Diversity in Congress

 
 
The 2016 Elections in the States
Governors and State Legislatures

 
Ballot Proposals

 
 
Putting the 2016 Election into Context
 
Notes
 
About the Authors
Key features
KEY FEATURES:
  • How did Donald Trump secure the Republican nomination and win the presidential election?
  • How does the outcome of the 2016 presidential race fit with standard political science theories?
  • What do the outcomes of the U.S. Senate elections tell us about the role of money in politics?
  • Do the U.S. House of Representatives elections provide insight into the relative importance of the incumbency advantage compared to presidential coattails?
  • What do the exit polls tell us about the importance of party identification in driving voting behavior and turnout?
  • What did voters find important in 2016?