The Apartisan American : Dealignment and the Transformation of Electoral Politics

Using 60 years of electoral surveys, Russell J Dalton's friendly and concise book shows students how apartisans are introducing new volatility into electoral politics, changing the calculus of electoral decision-making and altering the behaviour of political parties.

Party identification is often considered the most important concept in modern electoral research—yet Americans′ party ties have eroded. Today, independents comprise the largest portion of voters, outnumbering either Democrats or Republicans. This provocative book sheds new light on the dealignment trend with the emergence of an independent voter Dalton is calling the Apartisan American. Utilizing 60 years of electoral surveys, Dalton′s friendly and concise narrative shows students just who these apartisans are and how they′re introducing new volatility into electoral politics, changing the calculus of electoral decision making, and altering the behavior of political parties. Dalton also shows the same dealignment trend happening in other established democracies. Understanding these apartisans is key to understanding the 2012 election as well as party and electoral politics into the future.