Research Guides: Researching American Politics and Government: Campaigns & Elections

These reference books give background information and scholarly overviews of major topics related to US federal campaigns and elections.

American Political Parties and Elections: A Very Short Introduction by Louis Sandy Maisel
Call Number: EBSCO ebook
Publication Date: 2007
A brief guide introduction to a number of topics related to U.S. party & election history and current structure.
Elections A to Z (4th ed.) by Bob Benenson; David Tarr
Call Number: Sage ebook
Publication Date: 2012
Elections A to Z explains how campaigns and elections, the hallmark of any democracy, are conducted in the United States.
Guide to U. S. Elections (7th ed.) by Deborah S. Kalb
Call Number: Credo ebook
Publication Date: 2016
Covers analysis of the campaigns for presidency, from the primaries through the general election; data on the candidates, winners/losers, and election returns; details on congressional and gubernatorial contests from the primaries through the general elections supplemented with vast historical data; and coverage of campaign finance, reapportionment, and redistricting.

VOTE411
VOTE411 creates issue guides with candidate positions and ballot initiatives based on your address. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters.
On The Issues
On The Issues aggregates candidates' and politicians' statements on various controversial topics.

Information on who is donating and spending what in politics.

Campaign Finance Data | Federal Elections Commission
The official records of federal campaign spending. Candidates and parties have to report all contributions and spending, but not all other organizations do.
Campaign Finance Institute
Although, the Campaign Finance Institute (CFI) is now a division of the National Institute of Money in Politics, CFI remains a historical database of state campaign finance laws. Use this website to explore the Campaign Finance Law Database which explains finance law in all 50 states!
Open Secrets
Open Secrets collects data on lobbyists and their donations, political action committee funding, campaign contributions, dark money donations, and anything else related to money in the political system.
National Institute of Money in Politics
The Follow the Money website is the maintained by the National Institute of Money in Politics (NIMP). The NIMP is an American nonprofit organization that tracks campaign finance data.

Researching American Politics and Government