Campaign Modernization and the West European Party

Abstract

Offers an in-depth analysis of election campaigns & the processes through which political parties or interest groups strive to garner votes for their candidates. The research literature on election campaigns is reviewed, focusing on new campaign processes, the role of political parties in them, & their impacts on parties. Trends in the US are summarized, tracing the evolution of political campaigns 1860s-2000s & evaluating their implications for the "Americanization" of Western European campaign activities. An empirical model of the diffusion of US campaign techniques to Western Europe is developed that explains the function of various structural filters & politico-cultural traits in facilitating new technical, resource, & thematic developments. Tables, Figures. K. Hyatt Stewart