Includes bibliographical references (p. [277]-278) and index.

Ch.1 Politics, media, and modern democracy: introduction / Paolo Mancini and David L. Swanson -- Pt. 1. Campaign innovations in established democracies with stable political cultures -- Ch. 2. Politics, media, and modern democracy: The United States / Dan Nimmo -- Ch. 3. Modern communication versus traditional politics in Britain: unstable marriage of convenience / Jay G. Blumler, Dennis Kavanagh, and T. J. Nossiter -- Ch. 4. The modernization of Swedish campaign: individualization, professionalization, and medicalization / Kent Asp and Peter Esaiasson -- Ch. 5. The “Americanization” of German election campaigns: any impact on the voters? / Klaus Schoenbach -- Pt. 2. Campaigns innovations in new and restored democracies -- Ch. 6. Television, campaigning, and elections / Ellen Mickiewicz and Andrei Richter -- Ch. 7. Television and elections in Post-1989 Poland: how powerful is the medium? / Karol Jakubowicz -- Ch. 8. Political communication and electoral campaigns in the young Spanish democracy / Juan I. Rospir -- Pt. 3. Campaign innovation in democracies facing potentially destabilizing pressures -- Ch. 9. American-styles electioneering in Israel: Americanization versus modernization / Dan Caspri -- Ch. 10. Patterns and effects of recent changes in electoral campaigning in Italy / Gianpietro Mazzoleni -- Ch. 11. Secular politics: the modernization of Argentine electioneering / Silvio R. Waisbord -- Ch. 12. Politics, media, and modern democracy: the case of Venezuela / José Antonio Mayobre -- Ch. 13. Patterns of Modern Electoral Campaigning and their consequences / David L. Swanson and Paolo Mancini.

This important new text brings together an outstanding group of international scholars to look at the current state of electoral politics around the world. Elements of the modern (or American) model of election campaigning have been adopted in many countries in recent years―including the use of mass media, the personalization of campaigns, use of public opinion polls, and a general professionalization of campaigns―and conditions would seem to favor the spread of that model. Contributors to this volume, from established democracies, new and restored democracies, and democracies facing destabilizing pressure, examine the extent to which electoral politics in their countries have been affected by the emergence of high-tech professional campaigns. Countries examined provide a cross-section of today's democracies, including the United States, Britain, Sweden, Germany, Russia, Poland, Spain, Israel, Italy, Argentina, and Venezuela. The work will be of interest to scholars and students alike in political communication, political parties and elections, and comparative politics.