Perspectives on Political Communication: A Case Approach

Political Communication covers far more than elections by presenting 13 unique case studies that are each examined through the political science, rhetorical and mass communication perspectives. The foundation of the book is laid in the first three chapters where each of the three authors fully develops his/her perspective and explains how their view relates to understanding political communication. After this groundwork is set, the authors apply these different perspectives to case studies that focus on the presidency, Congress, the Supreme Court, social movements, popular culture and, of course, elections. Each case includes detailed information about the political communication event, analyses from the three perspectives, and a list of additional cases the student might want to explore. The richness and depth of each case is drawn out in the analysis portion of each chapter; readers will walk away with an understanding of how a political scientist, a rhetorician, and a mass communication researcher each think about political communication.