info@woodslane.com.au
Contact us on (02) 8445 2300
For all customer service and order enquiries

WOODSLANE

Popular Subjects

Woodslane Online Catalogues

9781666923155 Add to Cart Academic Inspection Copy

Celebrities in American Elections

Case Studies in Celebrity Politics
Description
Author
Biography
Table of
Contents
Google
Preview
Using a case study approach, Celebrities in American Elections contends that celebrities have the talent, fame, and resources to succeed in electoral politics. These factors account for the electoral victories of Ronald Reagan, Clint Eastwood, Fred Grandy, Sonny Bono, Jesse Ventura, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Al Franken, and Donald Trump. However, the author argues that these items are insufficient without a favorable political environment; as many celebrities have lost elections as have won them. They lose because their persona does not match the politics of their time, or they represent the minority party in a one party dominated district or state, or they advocate for unpopular policies. Among those that won, nearly half were elected by a plurality - not a majority - of voters. This does not suggest overwhelming public support for celebrity candidates despite their many advantages. With a few exceptions, celebrities that won tended to also win the fundraising battle, while celebrities that lost tended to raise less than their opponent - the normal laws of politics still apply. The celebrity factor, while helpful, does not fully explain why celebrities win or lose elections.
Richard T. Longoria is associate professor of political science at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Introduction Chapter 1: Celebrity Society Chapter 2: Celebrity Politics Chapter 3: Ronald Reagan Chapter 4: Clint Eastwood Chapter 5: Fred Grandy Chapter 6: Sonny Bono Chapter 7: Jesse Ventura Chapter 8: Arnold Schwarzenegger Chapter 9: Al Franken Chapter 10: Donald Trump Chapter 11: Reverse Migration and Celebrity Losers Chapter 12: The Perils and Promises of Celebrity Politics
Google Preview content