The State of the Parties 2026

The State of the Parties 2026 brings together leading scholars of parties, elections, and interest groups to provide an indispensable overview of American political parties today. Recent election cycles have been extraordinary, but what role have political parties played in these developments and what are the implications for the future? This trusted group of scholars addresses these perennial questions and explores the deep discontent within the American body politic over the Democratic and Republican party organizations. They provide an overview of the U.S. two-party system and analyze how we understand party activists, party voters, party activities, and party organizations, at the national, state and local level.