Campaign Rules

by Nina Kasniunas and
Daniel M. Shea
Rowman & Littlefi eld Publishers,
243 pages
The first words “Campaign Rules” nicely encapsulate one way U.S. politics differ from politics around the world: “Most Americans believe the surest way to change public policy is to change the personnel of government,” write Allegheny College’s Nina Kasniunas and Daniel Shea.
“Not only do we rely heavily on elections to fill government positions,” they write, “but the frequency of these events far outpaces what is found in other nations.”
Kasniunas and Shea go on to note how the 2008 election has increased the general public’s interest in politics. As a result, universities are offering more programs on political science and campaign management, they say. There is a need, therefore, for a basic reference book on the varying rules governing elections in each state.
That’s exactly what Kasiunas and Shea set out to provide in “Campaign Rules.” The book includes a plethora of information divided by state. All of the bases are covered from basic demographics—population, voter registration and turnout—to the campaign essential—filing deadlines, campaign finance restrictions and candidate requirements. Each state’s chapter also includes information on judicial elections, which are often overlooked in the usual discussion of campaigns.
Don’t expect much more than the rules, though. (If you’re looking for advice on strategy and tactics, we hope you will rely on us at Politics.) The beauty of this book is it provides a one-stop shop for information that is typically located in a variety of places. It is similar to National Journal’s “Almanac of American Politics” in that respect. This book also usefully focuses on important information for launching and running campaigns.