National Party Organizations and Party Brands in American Politics : The Democratic and Republican National Committees, 1912-2016

In this book, Boris Heersink analyzes the DNC and RNC in their role as party-branders. Specifically, he argues the main role of the committees is to try and promote an image of the party to voters in a way they hope will help them win elections. However, in doing so, they often have to make controversial decisions, such as picking sides in big intra-party fights about what policies to support and what voting groups to target or ignore. Through extensive historical analysis, this book shows that the DNC and RNC were part of every major American policy debate throughout the 20th century.

A new assessment on the role, influence, and limitations of the Democratic and Republican National Committees in American political development. Scholars have long debated the role and importance of the Democratic and Republican National Committees in American politics. In National Party Organizations and Party Brands in American Politics, Boris Heersink identifies a core DNC and RNC role that has thus far been missed: creating national party brands. Drawing on extensive historical case studies and quantitative analysis, Heersink argues that the DNC and RNC have consistently prioritized their role of using publicity to inform voters about their parties'' policies and priorities from the beginning of the twentieth century onwards. Both committees invested heavily in political communication tools with the goal of shaping voters'' perceptions of their parties. As Heersink shows, the DNC and RNC often have considerable freedom in determining what type of brands to promote, placing them in the center of major intra-party debates in the twentieth century--including Prohibition, civil rights, foreign affairs, and economic policy. Analytically rigorous and marshaling a vast body of research on US elections between 1912 and 2016, this book highlights how important national party organizations are in setting the agenda in American politics.