Anyone closely following American politics today will recognize the nationalized tenor of political dialogue and the behavior of the electorate. Candidates running for congressional office often echo the same themes embraced by presidential candidates in an attempt to earn the support of partisan voters. At the same time, individuals are increasingly voting straight party tickets at the polls and typically reward or punish elected representatives on the basis of their support of the president in a given electoral context. Despite this greater emphasis on nationalized politics, there is still room for local factors to matter under the right circumstances. This is the central argument that Charles Hunt makes in his provocative new book, Home Field Advantage. Hunt marshals data from the past two decades, along with additional historical data, to demonstrate that placed-based connections still matter to representatives and their voters even in a nationalized political context
Carson JL. Home Field Advantage: Roots, Reelection, and Representation in the Modern Congress. By Charles Hunt. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2022. 270p. $85.00 cloth. Perspectives on Politics. 2023;21(3):1091-1092. doi:10.1017/S1537592723001226
