In this book, Sean Trende pours cold water over “permanent partisan majority” theories. He argues that party successes on the presidential and congressional levels are contingent on party choices, and that any necessary division between “sun” and “moon” parties in 32-40 year party systems simply does not hold up -”we now have two parties that are able to win nationally” (p. 197), “This whole System of 1896 that Burnham hypothesized is nothing more than a collection of good and bad choices by parties, mixed with a bit of luck.” (p. 193). Trende ends up being half right -right in that party choices and luck are vital in determining U.S. elections’ overall victors, wrong in that individual candidates are always able to buck the issues and constituencies they live under and that 32-40 year cycles have no practical importance.
Review of "The Lost Majority" by Sean Trende
Review of "The Lost Majority" by Sean Trende
Review of "The Lost Majority" by Sean Trende
In this book, Sean Trende pours cold water over “permanent partisan majority” theories. He argues that party successes on the presidential and congressional levels are contingent on party choices, and that any necessary division between “sun” and “moon” parties in 32-40 year party systems simply does not hold up -”we now have two parties that are able to win nationally” (p. 197), “This whole System of 1896 that Burnham hypothesized is nothing more than a collection of good and bad choices by parties, mixed with a bit of luck.” (p. 193). Trende ends up being half right -right in that party choices and luck are vital in determining U.S. elections’ overall victors, wrong in that individual candidates are always able to buck the issues and constituencies they live under and that 32-40 year cycles have no practical importance.