As the 2008 presidential race dominates political discussion and media coverage worldwide, thousands of lesser-known local contests are being hard-fought in our neighborhoods, cities, and states. Winning Your Election the Wellstone Way is based on the work of Wellstone Action, a leading-edge progressive training center that has instructed thousands of political activists, campaign managers, and volunteers, of whom more than two hundred have gone on to run for office and win. Jeff Blodgett and Bill Lofy analyze the crucial lessons learned from many successful (and several losing) campaigns and demystifies what it takes to run for-and win-a political seat. This companion guide to Politics the Wellstone Way, the best-selling introduction to political action, features the in-depth knowledge that campaigns need to take energy and engagement to the next level-getting elected. With detailed and informative examples from progressive campaigns at every level throughout the United States, Winning Your Election the Wellstone Way combines grassroots organizing with political strategy, articulating a bold populist agenda. If you have ever considered volunteering for a political candidate, working for a campaign, or even running for public office yourself, Winning Your Election the Wellstone Way is the key resource you need to devise a sophisticated, progressive, and successful strategy and, ultimately, affect people's lives for the better.

The 2004 American Presidential campaign was a watershed event for many reasons, but especially because the line between statesmanship and showmanship became extremely blurred. Because of the importance of this American election, American Behavioral Scientist is dedicating four issues, entitled Campaign 2004, Volumes 1-4, edited by J. Gregory Payne of Emerson College, to analysis of Campaign 2004, both Presidential and Senatorial, and contemporary issues and dynamics in political communication.

According to public relations guru, James Grunig, political communication is more and more about meaningful relationships the public has with candidates who try to mirror their values, beliefs, and attitudes. Campaign 2004 was unique because of the use of new technologies such as cable television talk shows, the Internet, Web pages, blogs, and VNRs (simulated video new releases) enabled candidates to target their messages and communication images to smaller groups. The new media challenged the traditional mainstream media by providing a venue for unrestrained, less commercial, and sometimes more global information. Campaign 2004 also shamelessly used staged pseudoevents and celebrity spectacles as "infotainment, ' and spent over $620 million on mostly negative political advertising to spell out issues and to try to set the future political agenda. The four volumes of Campaign 2004 evaluate the successes and failures of Campaign 2004 and offer some practical insights for future campaigns.

Volume I of Campaign 2004 concentrates on campaign rhetoric and the battle for attention in the campaign primaries. Volume 2 changes direction by focusing on the effectiveness of presidential debates, political advertising, and leadership, as well as showcasing the Senate races in South Dakota and Illinois. Volume 3 considers trends in new media, mediated reality, and the politics of pseudoevents and celebrity/spectacle, while Volume 4 offers international reflections and perspectives on democracy, and elections in the Middle East and Europe.

Campaign 2004, Volumes 1-4 belongs in the library of every one interested in political science, political communication, international relations, mass communication, mass media, journalism, sociology, marketing/advertising, discourse analysis, and rhetoric.

Volume 1: Constructing the New American Ideals/Idols in Democracy (ISBN: 1-4129-3921-6)Volume 2: De/Constructing the Mediated Realities of Presidential debates, Political Advertising, and Showvase Senate Races (ISBN: 1-4129-3922-4)Volume 3: The Political Celebrity Spectacle: De/Constructing Image Meaning/Mongering (ISBN: 1-4129-3923-2)Volume 4: Style versus Substance in E-Politics and International Perspectives on Democracy (ISBN: 1-4129-3924-0)

This is a systematic and accessible introduction to the critical concepts, structures, and professional practices of political communication. Author Darren G. Lilleker presents more than 50 core concepts in political communication which cement together various strands of theory. From aestheticisation to virtual politics, he explains, illustrates, and provides selected further readings. He considers both practical and theoretical issues central to political communication and offers a critical assessment of recent developments in political communication.

Strategy is a simple and powerful method of analysis, it works in the abstract and it is new to most readers. Designed for the overburdened political operative, constituent steps of strategy are easy to understand, analyse or design once divested of their theoretical apparatus. Strategy's powers for coping with uncertainty and the unexpected are easily harnessed for the achievement of political success, and it is by this ease of application that the design of the present book may be judged. It is possible, for example, for the harried reader to go directly to the chapters on developing a campaign strategy or designing a response to a political tactic. The goal of the present book is to propose that strategy can be a suitable foundation for the analysis and development of any electoral candidate's campaign, the significance of events in the course of that campaign, and the prescription of a course of action, strategic or tactical, for winning elections. By taking into account strategic interventions as well as strategic interactions, it is possible to run a successful campaign for parties or individual candidates. Strategy provides a useful forecasting tool for relations between all the actors who may be involved (individuals, groups, political parties, factions within those parties, governments at various levels, pressure groups and even election officials), which are fraught or otherwise difficult. This book is the most recent instalment in a series of books and articles introducing a new general theory of strategy and its applications to an audience primarily composed of non-strategists. The present series of books also fit into a broader oeuvre, integrated along three axes. The first axis focuses on the methodological and theoretical development of this new theory of strategy. The second axis presents several structured sets of case studies focusing on the various types of actors in political systems, broadly defined. The third axis presents a series of exercises and worksheets which pertain either to particular applications of strategy or which spans the intellectual development of a good strategist. This book covers both the first and third axes, explaining the use of strategy in election campaigns.

Individual donors play a critical role in financing congressional elections, accounting for more than half of all money raised in House campaigns. But significant donors (defined here as those contributing more than $200) are the least understood participants in the system. Defenders assert that contributing money to campaigns is part of a broader pattern of civic involvement and is free speech that gives a voice to various interests. Detractors argue that these contributions are undemocratic, enabling wealthy citizens to overwhelm the voices of the many and to promote narrow business and policy interests. These divergent assessments were raised in connection with the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002 and continue to characterize the debate over campaign finance reform.

So who really contributes and why? How much and to how many candidates? What are the strategies used by political campaigns to elicit contributions and how do the views of significant donors impact the campaign-finance system? What do donors think about campaign-finance reform? This book investigates these vital questions, describing the influence of congressional financiers in American politics.

In the mid-19th century, Asian-Americans flocked to America and provided cheap immigrant labour. Their numbers grew so high and fast that several restrictive immigration laws were enacted, and were not eased until the mid-20th century. Since that time, Asian-Americans have consistently been cited as one of the fastest growing segments of the population and seem on the cusp of increased political activity and influence. Despite the rise in Asian-American citizens since the 1960s, however, there has not been a corresponding growth of political participation. Voter turnout is low, and the number of Asian-American representatives has lagged. However, Asian-Americans have often been notable political donors and campaign financiers, indicating a behind-the-scenes political influence. As the Asian population increases in the nation, so do the chances of their wielding wider impact on election results and the issues of importance nationally. In order to understand the development of the Asian-American political block, this book discusses the history of Asian immigration and political participation. Using reports based on census data, the patterns of Asian-American behaviour are assessed. No segment of American society can be ignored, and this book is necessary for coming to understand the implications of and history behind the political influence of a significant slice of the American pie.

That large financial contributions distort American politics and American democracy is an idea that stands as a truism in political debate. It has fired reform movements; it has inspired round after round of efforts to limit who can give to candidates and parties, how much they can give, and how much campaigns can spend. The laws have generated constitutional arguments about free speech, a still inconclusive literature on whether contributions actually shape policy, and a great deal of work for lawyers and financial analysts who monitor compliance. In the wake of Enron's collapse and subsequent revelations about that corporation's involvement with policy makers, the public's attention has once again focused on the role that money plays in politics. Little of the scholarly work (and none of the legal work) is historical. Yet history can shed light on the long-running debate about the impact of money on politics and what, if anything, are plausible policy options.

This collection of original essays is a step in that direction. The chapters cover episodes from the early nineteenth century through the 1970s. They illustrate how deep concern about money in politics runs--and how the definition of the problem has changed over time. Through the nineteenth century, the "spoils system" in which party loyalists gained reward for their efforts appeared to be the evil that blocked responsive parties and honest public administration. Party war chests that brought howls of complaint (and great exaggeration) seemed quaint by the middle of the twentieth century. In part because reform had weakened the parties and campaigns required consultants' skills in coordination and in part because television advertising was so expensive, the cost of campaigns rose. Candidates griped and policy entrepreneurs worked out possible solutions, which were in place before the Watergate scandal focused public attention on campaign finance. In the history of campaign-finance reform, one generation's solutions have tended to become another's problem. Contributors to the volume are Paula Baker, Robert Mutch, Mark Wahlgren Summers, and Julian E. Zelizer.

This is the story of how Walter Capps made it to Congress. A long-time religious studies professor with no political experience, Capps shocked the 22nd district of California and the nation in 1996 by unseating a Contract-With-America Republican and becoming the first Democratic Representative from that District in 50 years. In a hard-fought and high-profile campaign, Capps maintained his principles -- as well as his sense of humour -- while waging a personal battle against the compromises every politician is tempted to make. Winning Without the Spin is also the story of the campaign itself, seen through the eyes of the author, a political novice whose sense of the absurd increased with every hour on the campaign trail. Throughout the history of American politics, few, if any, books have chronicles the day-to-day aspects of the campaign office in such detail, with anecdotes describing everything from personal power plays by staff to the day Wally Baer fixed the toilet. On the campaign trail, the ridiculous melded with the sublime on a daily basis. Above all this book is a tribute to the memory of Walter Capps, who brought his unique brand of politics to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for only 10 months before this sudden death of a heart attack at Dulles Airport in October 1997.

Revised and updated just in time for the 2000 campaign, this shrewd and amusing series of observations provides a political etiquette for campaign behavior on the part of both politicians and journalists. Features illustrations by America's foremost political cartoonists, including Herblock, Paul Conrad, Jeff McNally, Don Wright, Garry Trudeau, Jim Borgman, Mike Peters, Tom Toles, Mike Luckovich, Steve Benson, and Walt Handelsman. "Stephen Hess has stepped into the breach with answers to questions that ought to be more frequently asked...This breezy book is likely to be of interest to anyone who follows - or worries about - the state of the nation's political discourse." - USA Today

Incisive and readable, this excellent volume offers an overview of contemporary campaigns and elections and the role parties play in them. Anyone looking to better understand and identify important features of current campaigns and elections, and to place these features in a historical context, will find the book invaluable. Drawing on extensive interviewing and archival research, David Menefee-Libey argues that campaign-centered politics is now the dominant force in American elections with serious implications for representative democracy. Data on campaign activities and finance from the 1998 election is included.

"This work offers a great deal of rich, detailed narrative on the pressures on and responses by party organizations caught up in a vortex of contextual change over the past generations. David Menefee-Libey analyzes the structured interactions among political elites, discussing campaign-dominated politics in the modern era and providing a wealth of compelling detail", according to Walter Dean Burnham of the University of Texas at Austin. "A well-written and well-developed study of national party organizations, political party in government, and the new party paradigm", writes Charles D. Hadley of the University of New Orleans. "It brings together two very important themes of contemporary American politics: the scholarship on critical elections and party decline and that on 'responsible parties' to form the 'new party paradigm' of 'campaign-centered politics.'"

?Bruce I. Newman tells us briskly, firmly what our instincts also tell us: We are mass marketing images rather than providing real leadership.? --Paul Simon, Former U.S. Senator, Public Policy Institute, Southern Illinois University ?Gatorade and Coke do it, so do candidates for high office?they manufacture images and manipulate reality to win our favor. In this insightful and compelling study, Bruce I. Newman demonstrates what politicians and interest groups are doing to us and what we need to do to strengthen our democracy.? --Dennis W. Johnson, Associate Dean, George Washington University ?Bruce Newman has written an incisive account of the role that marketing plays in contemporary politics. He argues persuasively that mass marketing techniques are profoundly changing and corroding American politics. His book provides an enlightful analysis of the ways in which marketers have transformed the presidential election.? --Richard M. Perloff, author of Political Communication: Politics, Press and Public in America ?This book is a must read for anyone concerned about the growing trend of sound bite over substance, willful manipulation of the media over honest engagement of the American Public.? --David Wilhelm, Former Chair of the Democratic National Committee ?While marketing has led to better quality in most markets, we are beginning to have serious doubts about what is doing to the quality of political life. Bruce Newman raises serious questions about whether anyone of merit can get elected today without the support of expensive and sophisticated marketing machinery.? --Philip Kotler, S.C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing, Northwestern University Marketing, not ideology, drives America?s contemporary political system, with an emphasis on image over substance, personality over issues, and 30-second sound bites over meaningful dialogue. Through the use of carefully crafted messages meant to manipulate voter thinking, the same marketing tactics used by Fortune 500 companies is shaping public opinion. The Mass Marketing of Politics details how marketing tactics are being used to determine public opinion, win votes, and shape public policy in the White House and Congress. The book points out the pitfalls of relying too heavily on marketing as a campaign and governance tool and offers solutions to fix our political system before it is too late. Bruce I. Newman is the author of The Marketing of the President (Sage, 1993) and the forthcoming Handbook of Political Marketing. He has served as a communication advisor to top White House officials and has written widely on the subject of political marketing in both scholarly and popular media. The Mass Marketing of Politics is provocative and essential reading for anyone interested in American politics, marketing, political communication, and media studies.

Roderick P. Hart?s revised edition of Seducing America is an eye-opening look at how television's format of presenting politics to its viewers has changed the way television-watching citizens act, vote, and feel about politics in this country. While television makes us feel knowledgeable, important, informed, and close to our political representatives, it disguises dissatisfaction with the political system and with ourselves. Hart's rigorous blend of rhetorical and statistical research plus his eloquent and passionate writing make this book a superb supplementary text for political communication and media studies courses that will help engage students in provocative discussions about media and politics.

Political advertising has been called the worst cancer in American society. Ads cost millions, and yet the entire campaign season is now filled with nasty and personal attacks. In this landmark six-year study, two of the nation's leading political scientists show exactly how cancerous the ad spot has become. 16 illustrations.

If elections are easily predicted and voting behavior is easily explained with just a few fundamental variables, it seems quite plausible to argue that campaigns don't matter. This book attempts to answer the question, "Do campaigns matter?" by analyzing changes in public opinion during and across several presidential election campaigns. The crux of the argument is that although the national political and economic context of the election is very important, campaigns also play a crucial role in determining election outcomes. In particular, campaign events, such as conventions and debates, are primarily responsible for changes in public opinion that occur during the campaign period. Using many different data sources from several presidential campaigns, this important volume demonstrates that election outcomes are jointly produced by campaigns and national conditions. Covering an important and neglected subject, Do Campaigns Matter? is essential for students in political science at both graduate and undergraduate levels. Its original research, imaginative approach at conceptualizing data, and excellent empirical analysis, make it a must read for researchers and professionals as well.

Professor Bruce I. Newman correctly points out that in this information age, a candidate and his staff can test a new issue or idea very quickly, and if it looks salable, arrange to have the candidate get it before the correct bloc of voters in a very short period of time. . . . Newman is also correct in noting that the political party, as an institution, is no longer as dominant in elections. . . . Political junkies will love this material. --Conservative Review The Marketing of the President documents how political candidates are marketed by the same sophisticated techniques that experts use to sell legal and medical services. Bruce I. Newman addresses issues of serious concern to the health of the political process as he examines the roles of polling, direct mail, 900 numbers, and television in advertising. Using the 1992 presidential election as a case study, this extraordinary volume reveals how the American political process has been transformed--for better or worse--by the use of marketing techniques.

"Indispensable.... for anyone who cares about journalism." - Professor Karin Wahl-Jorgensen How can we understand the complex relationship between journalism and emotion? In a world of live-streamed terror, polarised political debates and fake news, emotion has become central to our understanding of contemporary journalism. Including interviews with leading journalists throughout, Journalism and Emotion critically explores the impact of this new affective media environment, not just on the practice of journalism, but also the lived experience of journalists themselves. Bringing together theory and practice, Stephen Jukes explores: The history of objectivity and emotion in journalism, from pre-internet to digital. The 'emotionalisation' of culture in today's populist media landscape. The blurring of boundaries between journalism and social media content. The professional practices of journalists working with emotive material. The mental health risks to journalists covering traumatic stories. The impact on journalists handling graphic user-generated content. In today's interactive, interconnected and participatory media environment, there is more emotive content being produced and shared than ever before. Journalism and Emotion helps you make sense of this, explaining how emotion is mobilised to influence public opinion, and how journalists themselves work with and through emotional material.

From the social media-based 2008 Obama election campaign to the civic protest and political revolutions of the 2011 Arab Spring, the past few years have been marked by a widespread and complex shift in the political landscape, as the rise of participatory platforms - such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and blogs - have multiplied the venues for political communication and activism. This book explores the emergence of a permanent campaign - the need for constant readiness - on networked communication platforms, focusing on political moments, crises and elections in Canada, the U.S.A., and Australia. The book chapters investigate the proliferation of new political actors and communicators: political bloggers, advocacy groups, diverse publics, and political party staff as they engage in political maneuvers across participatory platforms. With in-depth analyses of some of the most well-known participatory media today, this book offers a critical assessment of the constant efforts at managing the plurality of voices that characterize contemporary politics.

What is political marketing and how does it work? This question sits at the heart of this book. Using the British General Election of 2005 as a case study, this collection focuses on three important elements: the products offered by the parties; the campaign communication; and the perceptions, reactions and attitudes of the voters. Within each chapter is a discussion of the role of marketing in constructing the elements of an election campaign, how marketing informs the communicational aspects and how the strategy is perceived by the voters. This analysis, the first of its kind, allows us to understand how marketing informs the disparate elements of a campaign to understand if politics has entered a market-oriented phase. The book raises a number of important questions, particularly the extent to which marketing has become the new political ideology, and what affect this is having on the voter perceptions of the parties. -- .

Explore the increased need for marketing within the political arena Current Issues in Political Marketing presents up-to-date theory and research findings from academics working in political science, advertising, and management, and guidance from successful practitioners who know what it takes to make a nonprofit organization stand out in a crowd. The book presents the latest thinking on marketing issues and the consequences of political marketing, including insights into current British politics that can easily be applied to democratic countries. It will help you develop strategies that make effective use of limited resources as nonprofit organizations face greater competition for reduced government funding. Current Issues in Political Marketing addresses the ethical and practical difficulties in implementing traditional business approaches into the political and public arena. Political parties, the media, universities, local governments, charities, and legislatures are all adopting tools of marketing intelligence to understand their market needs and demands. This unique book examines how to adapt marketing to politics, including which marketing tools and concepts can be successfully transferred, and looks at the advantagesand problemsthat political marketing can bring. Topics examined in Current Issues in Political Marketing include: political frames agenda setting voter attitude public-policy marketing change management relationship marketing voter disengagement party identification market orientation product anatomy branding segmentation and much more! Current Issues in Political Marketing is a valuable resource for directors and managers of nonprofit and charitable organizations, and for academics working in nonprofit management and social work.

This is a systematic and accessible introduction to the critical concepts, structures, and professional practices of political communication. Author Darren G. Lilleker presents more than 50 core concepts in political communication which cement together various strands of theory. From aestheticisation to virtual politics, he explains, illustrates, and provides selected further readings. He considers both practical and theoretical issues central to political communication and offers a critical assessment of recent developments in political communication.

The nineteenth century was the heyday of furious contention between American political parties, and Joel Silbey has recaptured the drama and substance of those battles in a representative safmpling of party pamphlets. Political parties mapped the landscape of electoral and ideological warfare, constructing images of themselves and of their adversaries that resonate and echo the basic characteristics of America's then reigning sets of ideas. The nature of political controversy, as well as the substance of politics, is embedded in these party documents, which both united and divided Americans. Unlike today's party platforms, these pamphlets explicated real issues and gave insight into the society at large. Andrew Jackson's Democrats, Millard Fillmore's Whigs, Abraham Lincoln's Republicans, and other, lesser-known parties are represented here. The pamphlets demonstrate how, for this fifty-year period, political parties were surrogates for American demands and values. Broad in scope, widely circulated, catalysts for heated debate over the decades, these pamphlets are important documents in the history of American politics.

In a brilliant monograph-length introduction, Silbey teases out and elucidates the themes each party stressed and took as its own in its fight for the soul of the nation.

The nineteenth century was the heyday of furious contention between American political parties, and Joel Silbey has recaptured the drama and substance of those battles in a representative sampling of party pamphlets. Political parties mapped the landscape of electoral and ideological warfare, constructing images of themselves and of their adversaries that resonate and echo the basic characteristics of America's then reigning sets of ideas. The nature of political controversy, as well as the substance of politics, is embedded in these party documents, which both united and divided Americans. Unlike today's party platforms, these pamphlets explicated real issues and gave insight into the society at large. Andrew Jackson's Democrats, Millard Fillmore's Whigs, Abraham Lincoln's Republicans, and other, lesser-known parties are represented here. The pamphlets demonstrate how, for this fifty-year period, political parties were surrogates for American demands and values. Broad in scope, widely circulated, catalysts for heated debate over the decades, these pamphlets are important documents in the history of American politics.

In a brilliant monograph-length introduction, Silbey teases out and elucidates the themes each party stressed and took as its own in its fight for the soul of the nation.

A comprehensive guide to effective participation in the public debate about our most indispensable right: freedom of expression Encouraging readers to think critically about freedom of speech and expression and the diverse critical perspectives that challenge the existing state of the law, this text provides a comprehensive analysis of the historical and legal contexts of the First Amendment, from its early foundations all the way to censorship on the Internet. Throughout the book, authors Douglas M. Fraleigh and Joseph S. Tuman use the "Marketplace of Ideas" metaphor to help readers visualize a world where the exchange of ideas is relatively unrestrained and self-monitored. The text provides students with the opportunity to read significant excerpts of landmark decisions and to think critically about the issues and controversies raised in these cases. Students will appreciate the treatment of contemporary issues, including free speech in a post-9/11 world, free expression in cyberspace, and First Amendment rights on college campuses. Features: Demystifies free speech law, encouraging readers to grapple with the complexities of significant ethical and legal issues Sparks student interest in "big picture" issues while simultaneously covering important foundational material, including incitement, fighting words, true threats, obscenity, indecency, child pornography, hate speech, time place and manner restrictions, symbolic expression, restrictions on the Internet, and terrorism. Includes significant excerpts from landmark freedom of expression cases, including concurring or dissenting opinions where applicable, to help students become active learners of free expression rights Offers critical analysis and alternative perspectives on free expression doctrines to demonstrate that existing doctrine is not necessarily ideal or immutable Includes a global perspective on free expression including a chapter on international and comparative perspectives that helps students see how the values of different cultures influence judicial decisions

Since its creation in 1949, the Council of Europe has concentrated most of its efforts on promoting the protection of human rights. In this field it has proved to be extremely effective, especially during the last six years when it has introduced a number of legal initiatives. The Organisation has launched a range of campaigns to raise public awareness, primarily focusing on the Right to Life but also highlighting the importance of social and cultural rights. By investigating the Council of Europe's most recent public campaigns, this study aims to identify the linguistic and visual means of persuasion used to promote and disseminate human rights protection. The multimodal text analysis highlights the various elements of Promotion, Popularisation, and Pedagogy (the 3 Ps) which subtly overlap, both to raise awareness on human rights issues and promote the Institution itself. This book will be of interest to researchers and students in human rights, linguistics, rhetoric and communication studies.