Although campaign acitivists are playing an increasingly important role in American electoral politics, there is very little in the way of systematic knowledge concerning who they are, what they believe, and how they operate. This research is directed at addressing these issues by examining presidential campaign activists in the 1988 election. The study will provide insights into the nature and activities of these important presidential campaign activists. The data for this analysis will be obtained from three main sources. First, the primary focus of the study consists of a national telephone survey of county.level presidential activists, to be conducted during the two months prior to the 1988 election. Second, the researchers will also conduct a national mail survey of county party chairpersons. Third, the investigators will have access to public opinion data from a national sample of the American electorate, obtained from the University of Michigan Center for Political Studies' 1988 National Election Study. The three surveys will select respondents from the same set of counties across the United States. This will enable the investigators to make direct comparisons across the three main types of actors in American presidential elections: campaign activists, party leaders, and the voters. With the data obtained from the surveys, the investigators will address four main questions about the role of presidential parties in American politics. First, have presidential parties become stronger since 1972? Second, what are the issue orientations of presidential activists? Third, how do policy attitudes of activists compare to those of constituents? Finally, what is the the degree of overlap between the presidential parties and the formal party organization? American electoral politics is changing over time in important ways. Analysts are not in agreement about the nature of the changes. Regardless of the evolving form and procedures in national elections, it appears certain that the presidential parties will continue to play a vital role. Therefore, it is important to gain an understanding of these organizations and this project is directed at accomplishing this objective.
