The selections in these anthologies are indicative of the attention that historians and the general public are giving to political parties, recognizing their essential role in democratic society. This history of parties, once narrowly defined as elections, has in recent years been reconsidered and altered. The study of party history has become the study of behavioral patterns in American society. Each volume in this series achieves a balance from the point of view of topics and of periods. Both the influence of individuals and that of the electorate at large are discussed; the impact of foreign and domestic issues is presented; and the party at the state and national level is critically examined."--Jacket.