Description

Running in Place is a fascinating insider account of Bill Scheuerman's political campaign in a rural county in upstate New York to win a seat in the New York State Assembly. Altushuler, a professor of political science and a participant in the campaign, captures the excitement and disappointment of a volunteer staffed, local campaign. For many years, political scientists have focused so narrowly on massive media political campaigns, that the most common campaign--the one for local office--has been ignored. The book evaluates what we know about local political campaigns and how well these campaigns serve the voters. Topics discussed include political parties, candidate strategies, campaign spending, interest groups, and the role of the media in the context of local elections.