This essential supplement draws on the most recent National Election Study surveys to offer a close analysis of the key issues and races, and answers the question, "What do the election results mean?" It examines the outcome of the battle for control of the Senate, including races in Iowa, Colorado, Kansas, and Alaska; the role of independents in elections, particularly in this era of partisan polarization; the influence of record campaign spending on election outcomes; and whether supporting President Obama's major programs helped or hurt members of Congress.

Author Biography

Elizabeth Theiss-Morse is the Willa Cather Professor of Political Science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is the author of several award-winning books including Who Counts as an American?, Stealth Democracy, Congress as Public Enemy, and With Malice Toward Some. Michael W. Wagner is assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. There, he is also the Louis A. Maier Faculty Development Fellow and holds an affiliated position in the Department of Political Science. He has won awards for his teaching and scholarship in the area of political communication in American politics. William H. Flanigan is professor emeritus of political science at the University of Minnesota. He is the coeditor (With Joel H. Silbey and Allan G. Bogue) of The History of American Electoral Behavior. With Jerome M. Clubb and Nancy H. Zingale, he coauthored Partisan Realignment: Voters, Parties and Government in American History and coedited Analyzing Electoral History: A Guide to the Study of American Voter Behavior. Nancy H. Zingale is professor emerita of political science at the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota). With Jerome M. Clubb and William H. Flanigan, she coauthored Partisan Realignment: Voters, Parties and Government in American History and coedited Analyzing Electoral History: A Guide to the Study of American Voter Behavior.