This volume examines how voters and politicians influence each other, and how these interactions affect the outcome of elections and the making of policy. This work looks at how political parties and candidates form platforms and make their political stands and to what degree do politicians take policy stands that are close to the midpoint of public opinion. The author investigates the nature and magnitude of the differences between the policy stands of opposing candidates and he accesses how specific or vague candidates are in advocating policy alternatives, identifies the forums they use for policy statements, and suggests ways they camouflage vagueness. This book also examines the rhetoric and reality of problems, past performance, and general goals for the future and also considers what sorts of candidates, with what personal characteristics, are offered to the voters, and what techniques are used in personal image making.