The making of the presidential candidates 2012 / edited by William G. Mayer and Jonathan Bernstein.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Why are presidential nomination races so difficult to forecast? / Wayne P. Steger, Andrew J. Dowdle, and Randall E. Adkins -- Financing presidential nominations in the post-public funding era / Anthony Corrado -- Political movements, presidential nominations, and the Tea Party / Andrew E. Busch -- The experience of running for president / Michael S. Dukakis -- More: digital media and the densification of presidential campaign discourse / Michael Cornfield -- How television covers the presidential nomination process/ Stephen J. Farnsworth and S. Robert Lichter -- Theory meets practice: the presidential selection process in the first federal election, 1788-89 / William G. Mayer.

The newest installment in a quadrennial series that now spans five presidential elections, this book presents a broad overview of the presidential nomination process and showcases some of the most interesting work now being done on the politics of presidential selection. Written by leading experts, including a former presidential candidate, The Making of Presidential Candidates 2012 covers a wide selection of topics, including the Tea Party, digital media campaigns, how television covers the nomination process, election forecasting, and campaign finance. The Making of the Presidential Candidates 2012 is valuable for students, specialists, and all readers with an interest in the ever-evolving presidential nomination process and American elections.