Routledge Battle for Congress: Iraq, Scandal, and Campaign Finance in the 2006 Election

Product Description Just in time for the coming election year, this book looks at the changing of the guard in 2006 and speculates on where the system may be heading in 2008. It provides an in-depth examination of the ways in which candidates, interest groups, and parties perceived their opportunities and allocated their campaign resources during the midterm elections. The role of money, which was influenced by campaign finance reform, is a special focus in this book. The theme of political scandal has frequently raised concerns that Republican leadership had become a "culture of corruption" that had flourished under their watch, which is also addressed in this book. The war in Iraq, however, may be the most important factor-not only in the 2006 battle for Congress, but for the 2008 battle for the White House as well. About the Author David B. Magleby is nationally recognized for his expertise on direct democracy, voting behavior, and campaign finance. He received his B.A. from the University of Utah in 1973 and his Ph.D. from the University of California-Berkeley. Currently a Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy, and Dean of the College of Family Home and Social Science at Brigham Young University, Professor Magleby has also taught at the University of California-Santa Cruz, and the University of Virginia. Kelly Patterson is Director of the Center for the Study of Elections Democracy and former chair of the Department of Political Science at Brigham Young University. He received his B.A. and M.A. from Brigham Young University and his Ph.D. from Columbia University. After teaching at Franklin and Marshall College from 1989 to 1993, Patterson came to Brigham Young University, where his research and teaching activities focus on American politics, political parties, Congress and elections, public opinion, quantitative methods, and political theory.