Local Elections and the Politics of Small–Scale Democracy

"Eric Oliver's masterful study turns our gaze away from the national limelight to the quiet, steady politics of local governments. City councils, mayors, and school committees, he rightly points out, are every bit as important as the Congress and president in making American government, but they are subjects we academics have largely ignored for the better part of three decades. Oliver uncovers a healthy and vibrant system of democracy in local U. S. politics. For those worried about the partisan divisions and gridlock that have torn through our national politics, Local Elections and the Politics of Small-Scale Democracy offers a strong message of reassurance."--Stephen Ansolabehere, Harvard University

"Literally tens of thousands of local elections take place in this country each year, and millions of people participate in them. Yet until now, no scholarly book has grappled with the unique characteristics of these elections. I strongly predict that this book will change the direction of the study of local government and become part of the core literature on electoral politics more generally."--Elisabeth R. Gerber, author of The Populist Paradox

"Oliver argues that local elections are relatively low key. There are few divisive issues, incumbents are mostly reelected by satisfied voters, and while turnout is low, we needn't be particularly worried about this tendency. This argument is provocative and makes a number of very important contributions to the literatures on elections and local politics. Oliver's book is likely to be widely read and cited."--Jessica Trounstine, author of Political Monopolies in American Cities