Long regarded as the “gold standard” of political parties texts, this new, nineteenth edition of Party Politics in America brings its comprehensive and authoritative coverage of party politics into an age of heightened partisan conflict; threats to the acceptance of democratic institutions; changes in the balance of power among the president, Congress, and the Supreme Court, and judicial rulings that upend long-established precedents. Marjorie Hershey and Barry Burden build on the book’s three-pronged coverage of party organization, party in the electorate, and party in government and incorporate important developments in racial politics, social media use, and battles over access to the vote. The book uses contemporary examples to bring to life the fascinating story of how parties shape our political system.

New to the nineteenth edition:

• Fully updated through the 2022 and 2024 elections, including changes in virtually all the empirical data, boxed materials, and examples throughout the book
• Discusses the transformation of the Republican Party into the Party of Trump, with attendant changes in the parties’ coalitions and electoral prospects
• Examines the relevance of party politics and elections to college-age and other young voters in times of intense and off-putting polarization
• Considers the implications of recent changes in both parties to the likelihood that democracy will survive in the US
• Provides online Instructor’s Resources, including author-written test banks, essay questions, relevant websites with correlated sample assignments, and links to a collection of course syllabi