Are All Politics Nationalized?

Description

Given the news media’s focus on national issues and debates, voters might be expected to make decisions about state and local candidates based on their views of the national parties and presidential candidates. However, nationalization as a concept, and the process by which politics becomes nationalized, are not fully understood. Are All Politics Nationalized? addresses this knowledge gap by looking at the behavior of candidates and the factors that influence voters’ electoral choices. 

The editors and contributors examine the 2020 elections in six Pennsylvania districts to explore the level of nationalization in campaigns for Congress and state legislature. They also question if politicians are encouraging nationalized behavior and straight ticket voting—especially with down-ballot races. 

Are All Politics Nationalized? concludes that issues specific to particular districts—such as fracking and local union politics—still matter, and candidates are eager to connect with voters by highlighting their ties to the local community. National politics do trickle down to local races, but races up and down the ballot are still heavily localized.

Do local concerns still play a significant role in campaigns up and down the ballot?

Stephen K. Medvic is the Honorable and Mrs. John C. Kunkel Professor of Government, Director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs, and Co-Director of the Floyd Institute for Public Policy at Franklin & Marshall College. He is the author, most recently of Gerrymandering: The Politics of Redistricting in the United States and Campaigns and Elections: Players and Processes, Fourth Edition.
Matthew M. Schousen is Professor of Government at Franklin & Marshall College.
Berwood A. Yost is Co-Director of the Floyd Institute for Public Policy and the Director of the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College. He is also the Director of the Franklin & Marshall College Poll, which tracks public attitudes toward public policy issues and political campaigns in Pennsylvania. His scholarship is multidisciplinary and has appeared in journals in the fields of criminology, human rights, political science, psychology, and public health.

Additional information

Dimensions	1 × 6 × 9 in