Parties and Elections in America

This course surveys the practice of campaigns and elections in the United States, with a particular emphasis on the central role of political parties in supplying candidates for office, structuring the choices of voters, and determining the outcome of electoral contests. It will examine the influence of party coalitions, candidate strategy, electoral rules, news media coverage, and political money in both presidential and congressional races, with a focus on the 2026 campaign as it unfolds over the course of the semester.