"A significant contribution to our understanding of minor parties and party system change. The authors develop a new theory and provide strong empirical evidence in support of it. They show that the Perot's candidacy has had a strong and lasting impact on partisan competition in elections. ---Paul Herrnson, Director, Center for American Politics and Citizenship Professor, Department of Government and Politics, University of Maryland "Powerfully persuasive in its exhaustive research, Three's a Crowd may surprise many by revealing the long- ignored but pivotal impact of Perot voters on every national election since 1992." ---Clay Mulford, Jones Day and General Counsel to the 1992 Perot Presidential Campaign and to the Reform Party. "Rapaport and Stone have written an engaging and important book. They bring fresh perspectives, interesting data, and much good sense to this project. Three's a Crowd is fundamentally about political change, which will, in turn, change how scholars and pundits think of Ross Perot in particular, and third parties in general." ---John G. Geer, Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University and Editor of The Journal of Politics "The definitive analysis of the Perot movement, its role in the 1994 GOP victory, and the emergence of an enduring governing majority." ---L. Sandy Maisel, Director, Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs, Colby College Three's a Crowd begins with the simple insight that third parties are creatures of the American two-party system, and derive their support from the failures of the Democratic and Republican parties. While third parties flash briefly in the gaps left by those failures, they nevertheless follow a familiar pattern: a sensation in one election, a disappointment in the next. Rapoport and Stone conclude that this steep arc results from one or both major parties successfully absorbing the third party's constituency. In the first election, the third party raises new issues and defines new constituencies; in the second, the major parties move in on the new territory. But in appropriating the third party's constituents, the major parties open themselves up to change. This is what the authors call the "dynamic of third parties." The Perot campaign exemplified this effect in 1992 and 1996. Political observers of contemporary electoral politics missed the significance of Perot's independent campaign for the presidency in 1992. Rapoport and Stone, who had unfettered-and unparalleled-access to the Perot political machine, show how his run perfectly embodies the third-party dynamic. Yet until now no one has considered the aftermath of the Perot movement through that lens. For anyone who seeks to understand the workings of our stubbornly two-party structure, this eagerly awaited and definitive analysis will shed new light on the role of third parties in the American political system.

Three's a Crowd: The Dynamic of Third Parties, Ross Perot, and Republican Resurgence

Politics & Social Sciences

Stone, Walter J.

Rapoport, Ronald B.

Politics & Government

University of Michigan Press

"A significant contribution to our understanding of minor parties and party system change. The authors develop a new theory and provide strong empirical evidence in support of it. They show that the Perot's candidacy has had a strong and lasting impact on partisan competition in elections. ---Paul Herrnson, Director, Center for American Politics and Citizenship Professor, Department of Government and Politics, University of Maryland "Powerfully persuasive in its exhaustive research, Three's a Crowd may surprise many by revealing the long- ignored but pivotal impact of Perot voters on every national election since 1992." ---Clay Mulford, Jones Day and General Counsel to the 1992 Perot Presidential Campaign and to the Reform Party. "Rapaport and Stone have written an engaging and important book. They bring fresh perspectives, interesting data, and much good sense to this project. Three's a Crowd is fundamentally about political change, which will, in turn, change how scholars and pundits think of Ross Perot in particular, and third parties in general." ---John G. Geer, Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University and Editor of The Journal of Politics "The definitive analysis of the Perot movement, its role in the 1994 GOP victory, and the emergence of an enduring governing majority." ---L. Sandy Maisel, Director, Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs, Colby College Three's a Crowd begins with the simple insight that third parties are creatures of the American two-party system, and derive their support from the failures of the Democratic and Republican parties. While third parties flash briefly in the gaps left by those failures, they nevertheless follow a familiar pattern: a sensation in one election, a disappointment in the next. Rapoport and Stone conclude that this steep arc results from one or both major parties successfully absorbing the third party's constituency. In the first election, the third party raises new issues and defines new constituencies; in the second, the major parties move in on the new territory. But in appropriating the third party's constituents, the major parties open themselves up to change. This is what the authors call the "dynamic of third parties." The Perot campaign exemplified this effect in 1992 and 1996. Political observers of contemporary electoral politics missed the significance of Perot's independent campaign for the presidency in 1992. Rapoport and Stone, who had unfettered-and unparalleled-access to the Perot political machine, show how his run perfectly embodies the third-party dynamic. Yet until now no one has considered the aftermath of the Perot movement through that lens. For anyone who seeks to understand the workings of our stubbornly two-party structure, this eagerly awaited and definitive analysis will shed new light on the role of third parties in the American political system.

Three's a Crowd: The Dynamics of Third Parties, Ross Perot, & Republican Resurgence

Univ of Michigan Pr

A concise and engaging approach to the study of representative government in America, this book focuses on theory and critique as opposed to endless description.Beginning with an analysis of James Madison's defense of republican government, Republic at Risk: Self-Interest in American Politics develops a thought-provoking theme: the need to enhance the democratic, representative, and participatory nature of American politics and government.The author's straightforward, honest study of the current system of American government, given the problems of our nation, the world, and the human race, stimulates critical thinking. The concept of self-interest, so central to Madison's Republic, is examined from several perspectives as it applies to citizens and to elites in American politics.

Republic at Risk: Self Interest in American Politics

Wadsworth Pub. Co.

Product Description When people have the freedom to further their own personal interests in politics, the results may be disastrous. Chaos? Tyranny? Can a political system be set up to avoid these pitfalls, while still granting citizens and politicians the freedom to pursue their interests? Republic at Risk is a concise and engaging introduction to American politics. The guiding theme is the problem of self-interest in politics, which James Madison took as his starting point in his defense of representative government in Federalist 10 and 51. Madison believed that unchecked self-interest in politics was a risk to a well-ordered and free society. But he also held that political institutions could be designed to harness self-interest for the greater good. Putting Madison's theory to the test, the authors examine modern challenges to the integrity and effectiveness of US policy-making institutions, inviting readers to determine how best to respond to these risks. Review ‘Before we can determine how well the American system of government is working, we have to understand how it is designed to work. Republic at Risk provides a sophisticated, yet accessible, explanation of the theory behind ‘Madison’s Republic,’ and offers ample empirical evidence with which to assess the republic in practice. For those who have ever been frustrated, or simply bewildered, by the operation of American politics, Republic at Risk is essential reading.’ Stephen K. Medvic, Franklin & Marshall College‘Republic at Risk is not only a superb introduction to American politics, but an excellent introduction to political science, through its focus on competing theoretical models of the American political system. I completely reoriented my course after seeing the first edition, and the second is even better - completely updated and with new material on polarization, gridlock, and the Supreme Court.’ Ronald Rapoport, College of William and Mary‘Sweeping across mass and elite political behavior, Stone and McCann explore the boundaries of Madison’s argument that ‘self-interest is the problem, and the solution.’ Blending eighteenth-century political thought with contemporary academic scholarship and current events, they illuminate how the evolution of formal and informal norms, rules, and institutions has shaped outcomes that either sustain or distort the Founders’ original intentions. The end product is a masterpiece of how the very best political scientists approach the study of American politics.’ Sarah A. Fulton, Texas A&M University‘Republic at Risk is the perfect text for an introductory course in American government. Short and readable, the book presents the arguments about our democracy's future that are particularly relevant in the current context, in a way that will engage students throughout a semester.’ L. Sandy Maisel, Colby College Book Description A brief, analytical introduction to American politics, organized around the themes of representation and self-interest. About the Author Walter J. Stone is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at University of California, Davis. He has taught the introductory American politics course for more than four decades at Davis, Grinnell College, and the University of Colorado. He is the author of Candidates and Voters (Cambridge 2017) and, with Ronald B. Rapoport, Three's a Crowd (The University of Michigan Press, 2005).James A. McCann is Professor of Political Science at Purdue University, where he has taught courses on American politics since 1991. He is the author of many articles on U.S. politics and has previously published two books. The most recent, with Michael Jones-Correa, is Holding Fast: Resilience and Civic Engagement among Latino Immigrants (Russell Sage Foundation, 2020).

Republic at Risk: An Introduction to American Politics

McCann, James A.

Cambridge University Press

When people have the freedom to further their own personal interests in politics, the results may be disastrous. Chaos? Tyranny? Can a political system be set up to avoid these pitfalls, while still granting citizens and politicians the freedom to pursue their interests? Republic at Risk is a concise and engaging introduction to American politics. The guiding theme is the problem of self-interest in politics, which James Madison took as his starting point in his defense of representative government in Federalist 10 and 51. Madison believed that unchecked self-interest in politics was a risk to a well-ordered and free society. But he also held that political institutions could be designed to harness self-interest for the greater good. Putting Madison's theory to the test, the authors examine modern challenges to the integrity and effectiveness of US policy-making institutions, inviting readers to determine how best to respond to these risks.

Republic at Risk

Candidates and Voters: Ideology, Valence, and Representation in U.S Elections

Candidates and Voters extends our understanding of voting, elections, and representation by elaborating a simple theory of voting choice based on voters' interest in policy and in the suitability of candidates to hold elective office ('leadership valence'). Voters' choices must be understood in the context of the choices between opposing candidates they are offered on these two dimensions. Drawing on extensive analysis of US House races, Stone shows that although voters lack the information that many analysts assume they need to function in a democracy, they are most often able to choose the better candidate on the policy and valence dimensions. In addition, candidates, when they decide whether and how to run, anticipate the interests that drive voters. The book shows that elections tend to produce outcomes on policy and leadership valence consistent with voters' interests, and challenges skeptical views of how well the electoral process works.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Stone, Walter J.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Stone, Walter J.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Stone, Walter J.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Three's a Crowd: The Dynamic of Third Parties, Ross Perot, and Republican Resurgence

Three's a Crowd: The Dynamics of Third Parties, Ross Perot, & Republican Resurgence

Republic at Risk: Self Interest in American Politics

Republic at Risk: An Introduction to American Politics

Republic at Risk

Candidates and Voters: Ideology, Valence, and Representation in U.S Elections

Candidates and Voters: Ideology, Valence, and Representation in U.S Elections