The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science

Elections in America

Divisive party politics, unconventional campaigning, shifting and unpredictable voting behavior, and electoral accountability mark this election cycle, and our nation’s leading political scholars weigh in on key features of the 2016 election in the latest issue of The ANNALS.  They study America’s dynamic sociopolitical scene in a historic election, explaining how racial and demographic change is affecting presidential politics, the nature of populism, and the impact of political campaigning.

 Distinguished political scientists look at the nature of the ideological cleavages within the Democratic and Republican parties, the role of populism in the rise of Donald Trump, and the political legacy of Barack Obama. They also situate the 2016 election in the broader landscape of American politics, elucidating the relationship between elections and government and the prospects for major shifts in the American party system. Along the way, they challenge popular beliefs about the impact of campaigning, the electoral cost of ideological extremity, the responsiveness of candidates to their partisan bases, and the relationship between national and local elections.