Battle for Congress: Iraq, Scandal, and Campaign Finance in the 2006 Election

David B. Magleby · Kelly D. Patterson

Dec 2015 · Routledge

About this ebook

Just in time for the coming election year, this book looks at the changing of the guard in 2006 and speculates on where the system may be heading in 2008. It provides an in-depth examination of the ways in which candidates, interest groups, and parties perceived their opportunities and allocated their campaign resources during the midterm elections. The role of money, which was influenced by campaign finance reform, is a special focus in this book. The theme of political scandal has frequently raised concerns that Republican leadership had become a "culture of corruption" that had flourished under their watch, which is also addressed in this book. The war in Iraq, however, may be the most important factor-not only in the 2006 battle for Congress, but for the 2008 battle for the White House as well.

About the author

David B. Magleby is distinguished professor of political science, senior fellow at the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy, and dean of the College of Family Home and Social Sciences at Brigham Young University. Kelly D. Patterson is director of the Center for the Study of Elections Democ>racy and former chair of the Department of Political Science at Brigham Young University. He is a former congressional fellow with the American Political Sci>ence Association.