Contents

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter I
2. Preface and Acknowledgments V
3. Contents VII
4. 1 Introduction 1
5. 2 Affective Polarization and Public Trust in Government 9
6. 3 Compromise and Consequence: The Impact of Institutions on American Representation 27
7. 4 Is the Legislature Broken? The Evolving Dysfunction of Congress and Paths to Reform 47
8. 5 Disrupting the Norm: Redefining Presidential Nominations in Modern Politics 69
9. 6 Peeking Behind the Curtain: The Federal Bureaucracy, Transparency, and Judicial Oversight 89
10. 7 The Judicial Balancing Act: Ideology, Law, and Legitimacy in Supreme Court Decisions 115
11. 8 Capitol Gains and Losses: Navigating Leadership in Today’s Polarized Congress 131
12. 9 Voices of Influence: Outside Interests and Surrogate Representation 149
13. 10 The Politics of Running Free and Fair Elections 169
14. 11 National Waves in Local Waters: The Impact of National Issues on Down-Ballot Elections 191
15. 12 Voting Behavior and Participation: What Drives Us to the Polls 207
16. 13 From Local News to Polarized Views: The Nationalization of the American Media 227
17. 14 Redefining Reproductive Rights: Policy Evolution from Roe to Dobbs 243
18. 15 Democratic Backsliding in the United States 263
19. List of Contributors
20. Index