Playing Politics: The Science of Elections

Description

Politics makes strange bedfellows, and that becomes even more apparent when trying to analyze the science of politics. Pulling from an array of disciplines, including social science, behavioral science and mathematics, this eBook analyzes key factors in the process of electing a leader. Introduction The Science of Politics by Robert Keating SECTION 1 The Candidates 1.1 In Search of Charisma by S. Alexander Haslam and Stephen D. Reicher 1.2 Character Attacks by Yvonne Raley 1.3 The New Psychology of Leadership by Stephen D. Reicher, S. Alexander Haslam and Michael J. Platow SECTION 2 The Sell 2.1 The Science of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini 2.2 The Subliminal Factor by Michael Shermer 2.3 The Subtle Power of Hidden Messages by Wolfgang Stroebe 2.4 Beyond Fair and Balanced by Vivian B. Martin SECTION 3 The Vote 3.1 The Voting Equation by Douglas H. Blair and Robert A. Pollak 3.2 Election by the Numbers by Martin Gardner and Lynn Arthur Sheen 3.3 Fixing the Vote by Ted Selker 3.4 Ballot Breakdown by Wendy M. Grossman 3.5 The Fairest Vote of All by Partha Dasgupta and Eric Maskin 3.6 Civic Culture by Rodger Doyle SECTION 4 The Voter 4.1 Myth: Red-Blue States by Rodger Doyle 4.2 The Geography of US Presidential Elections – 1988 by J. Clark Archer, Fred M. Shelley, Peter J. Taylor and Ellen R. White 4.3 Voter Turnout by Rodger Doyle 4.4 The Genetics of Politics by Charles Q. Choi 4.5 Voting with the Heart by Charles Q. Choi SECTION 5 Election 2012 5.1 Obama and Romney Tackle 14 Top Science Questions by The Editors