Review
Parties, Politics, and Public Policy in America is a rare text because of both its accessibility and its scope. The text is well-written, packed with real-world illustrations and examples of key conceptual points, and it is well-organized, covering all the major sub-topics I need covered. The text's connection with public policy is what really sets it apart, however, allowing students to easily understand the important policy implications of the structure and behavior of political parties in America. It is, by far, the most useful parties text on the market. --- Lawrence Becker, California State University, Northridge
Parties, Politics and Public Policy is one of the best textbooks in American politics at introducing both the broad sweep of the political science of parties as well as the relevant contemporary research to students. However, the biggest contribution made by Hetherington and Larson is the respect they bring for their audience as they explain sophisticated concepts without reducing them to vague pabulum. Academic debates over topics like polarization are tightly connected to the real world concerns that probably inspired students to study party politics in the first place. Simply put, this book will help the reader make sense of what can appear to be a large and sprawling area of knowledge. - --Michael Tofias, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Parties, Politics and Public Policy is one of the best textbooks in American politics at introducing both the broad sweep of the political science of parties as well as the relevant contemporary research to students. However, the biggest contribution made by Hetherington and Larson is the respect they bring for their audience as they explain sophisticated concepts without reducing them to vague pabulum. Academic debates over topics like polarization are tightly connected to the real world concerns that probably inspired students to study party politics in the first place. Simply put, this book will help the reader make sense of what can appear to be a large and sprawling area of knowledge. --- Michael Tofias, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
About the Author
Marc J. Hetherington is associate professor of political science at Vanderbilt University. He was awarded the Emerging Scholar Award from the Elections, Voting Behavior and Public Opinion section of the American Political Science Association in 2004. He recently published Why Trust Matters: Declining Political Trust and the Demise of American Liberalism (Princeton University Press, 2005). He has published numerous articles in the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, and Public Opinion Quarterly.
Bruce A. Larson is an associate professor of political science at Gettysburg College. A specialist in American political parties and elections, he has published articles in the Journal of Politics, Legislative Studies Quarterly, and Political Research Quarterly. Additionally, he is the coauthor of a book on American political parties and the coeditor of a book on statewide ballot initiatives in the United States.
