This book explores the social and political implications of what the authors identify as the decline of the social contract in America and the rise of a citizenry that has become self-centered, entitled, and independent. For nearly two decades, America has been in a "cultural war" over moral values and social issues, becoming a divided nation geographically, politically, socially, and morally. We are witnessing the decline of American Democracy, the authors argue, resulting from the erosion of the idea of the social contract. Especially since the "baby boomers," each successive generation has emphasized personal license to the exclusion of service, social integration, and the common good. With the social contact, the larger general will becomes the means of establishing reciprocal rights and duties, privileges, and responsibilities as a basis of the state. The balkanization of America has changed the role of government from one of oversight to one of dependency, where individual freedom and responsibility are sacrificed for group equality. This book examines the conditions of this social fragmentation, and offers ideas of an American Renaissance predicated on communicative idealism.

The 2016 presidential campaign gave us an election that broke with many accepted practices and introduced new concepts to campaign communication. Providing a clear understanding of the strategic decisions made and tactical communication practices used in contemporary political campaigns, the updated eighth edition adds an exploration of the primaries, the conventions, and the debates of the tumultuous 2016 election. The update covers key issues including candidate surfacing, the changing role of advertising, social media, journalism and fake news, and issues of gender. With concepts like "fake news" and "alternative facts," the 2016 campaign brought students of political campaign communication into uncharted territory. This updated eighth edition of a much loved text provides an essential overview of the 2016 presidential campaign that no course should be without.

This book explores the social and political implications of what the authors identify as the decline of the social contract in America and the rise of a citizenry that has become self-centered, entitled, and independent. For nearly two decades, America has been in a "cultural war" over moral values and social issues, becoming a divided nation geographically, politically, socially, and morally. We are witnessing the decline of American Democracy, the authors argue, resulting from the erosion of the idea of the social contract. Especially since the "baby boomers," each successive generation has emphasized personal license to the exclusion of service, social integration, and the common good. With the social contact, the larger general will becomes the means of establishing reciprocal rights and duties, privileges, and responsibilities as a basis of the state. The balkanization of America has changed the role of government from one of oversight to one of dependency, where individual freedom and responsibility are sacrificed for group equality. This book examines the conditions of this social fragmentation, and offers ideas of an American Renaissance predicated on communicative idealism.

We have a crisis of leadership in America today. We are not electing the very best to public office, nor are the best willing to serve. As a nation, we have lowered our standards and expectations of those who run and their performance in office. Robert E. Denton, Jr.'s exceptional book explores moral presidential leadership, ultimately calling for a return to a 'heroic presidency.' Briefly surveying presidential character throughout our history, he gives an overview of the decline in trust of the government and offers possible reasons for this trend. Denton argues that personal character and integrity are essential and critical presidential traits. Focusing mainly on Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, he compares the scandal-filled terms of Clinton and Richard Nixon and looks at Bush vis-^-vis the elections, September 11, and the Iraq war. Denton addresses the myth of separating private from public behavior and shows how virtually everything presidents do or say influences their decisions and impacts citizens. Moral Leadership and the American Presidency is a must-read for anyone interested in the modern role of the president or in morality in American public life.

As he has done for each presidential campaign since 1992, Robert E. Denton, Jr. gathers a diverse collection of communications scholars to analyze specific areas of the most recent campaign season. Topics include early campaign rhetoric, the nomination process and conventions, candidate strategies, presidential debates, political advertising, the use of new media, news coverage of the campaigns. This volume looks at the 2020 Presidential campaign from three categories. The first section addresses the major political campaign communication areas to include pre-primary/candidate surfacing, the conventions, the debates, political advertising, social media and news coverage of the campaign. The second section includes two unique aspects of political branding and the politics of food in the 2020 campaign. The final section of the volume provides the broad overviews of campaign spending and finance as well as the national perspective of explaining the vote. Thus, the chapters cluster around the themes of campaign communication, studies of unique or special topics relevant to the campaigns.

This volume focuses on the 2016 Presidential campaign from a communication perspective, with each chapter considering a specific area of political campaign communication and practice. The first section includes chapters on the early candidate nomination campaigns, the nominating conventions, the debates, political advertising and new media technologies. The second section provides studies of critical topics and issues of the campaign to include chapters on candidate persona, issues of gender, wedge issues and scandal. The final section provides an overview of the election with chapters focusing on explaining the vote and impact of new campaign finance laws and regulations in the 2016 election. All the contributors are accomplished scholars in their areas of analysis. Students, scholars and general readers will find the volume offers a comprehensive overview of the historic 2016 presidential campaign.

The tenth edition of Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices provides a clear and thorough survey of the strategic decisions vital to the success of contemporary political campaigns. The authors draw on a host of examples involving political campaigns at local, statewide, and national levels to illustrate all aspects of campaign communication, from forms of public address to buttons, yard-signs, and billboards, to traditional media and the use of internet and social media platforms. Throughout the volume they draw on communication theories to clearly explain contemporary political campaign practices. Updated to reflect most recent practices and events from the 2020 presidential campaign, the book also considers journalistic practices and ethical considerations of today. Features of the tenth edition: Updates to reflect data on the 2020 election cycle Updated and expanded discussion of social media platforms and practices New art and graphics program to engage students and increase information retention Expanded discussion of the history, practice, and state of journalism today New chapter on local campaigns

The tenth edition of Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices provides a clear and thorough survey of the strategic decisions vital to the success of contemporary political campaigns. The authors draw on a host of examples involving political campaigns at local, statewide, and national levels to illustrate all aspects of campaign communication, from forms of public address to buttons, yard-signs, and billboards, to traditional media and the use of internet and social media platforms. Throughout the volume they draw on communication theories to clearly explain contemporary political campaign practices. Updated to reflect most recent practices and events from the 2020 presidential campaign, the book also considers journalistic practices and ethical considerations of today. Features of the tenth edition: Updates to reflect data on the 2020 election cycle Updated and expanded discussion of social media platforms and practices New art and graphics program to engage students and increase information retention Expanded discussion of the history, practice, and state of journalism today New chapter on local campaigns

The post-election period of the 2020 presidential campaign is historic not only for the culmination of tensions in the January 6, 2021 storming of the US capitol, but also in the very persistence of campaigning after the election was over. Historically, political campaigns have had only four phases: pre-primary, primary, convention, and general election. In 2020, there was a distinct and active post-election campaign in which President Donald Trump vigorously challenged the election, calling for recounts, court challenges amid charges of voter fraud and irregularities. Speeches, rallies, fundraising and advertising continued weeks past the election. For the first time modern electoral history, there was an active, dramatic and decisive post-election phase of the 2020 presidential campaign. This volume explores political communication during the post-election phase from election day until the inauguration of President Joseph R. Biden. Chapters address political branding, the nature of argumentation in the era of partisanship, the themes and issues of media coverage, examination of Trump's January 6th address in terms of inciting an insurrection or free speech, Trump's discursive strategy, political advertising and political cartoons during this period concluding with an examination of the post-election lawsuits.

The post-election period of the 2020 presidential campaign is historic not only for the culmination of tensions in the January 6, 2021 storming of the US capitol, but also in the very persistence of campaigning after the election was over. Historically, political campaigns have had only four phases: pre-primary, primary, convention, and general election. In 2020, there was a distinct and active post-election campaign in which President Donald Trump vigorously challenged the election, calling for recounts, court challenges amid charges of voter fraud and irregularities. Speeches, rallies, fundraising and advertising continued weeks past the election. For the first time modern electoral history, there was an active, dramatic and decisive post-election phase of the 2020 presidential campaign. This volume explores political communication during the post-election phase from election day until the inauguration of President Joseph R. Biden. Chapters address political branding, the nature of argumentation in the era of partisanship, the themes and issues of media coverage, examination of Trump's January 6th address in terms of inciting an insurrection or free speech, Trump's discursive strategy, political advertising and political cartoons during this period concluding with an examination of the post-election lawsuits.

Studies of Communication in the 2020 Presidential Campaign explores a wide range of communication elements, themes, and topics of the 2020 presidential election. The introduction provides a brief snapshot summarizing the role of more traditional elements of campaign communication as well as the newer elements of social media and journalistic practices that transformed the political landscape in 2020. Each chapter serves as a stand-alone study focusing on the role and function of communication within the context of the chapter topics and the 2020 election.

As he has done for each presidential campaign since 1992, Robert E. Denton, Jr. gathers a diverse collection of communications scholars to analyze specific areas of the most recent campaign season. Topics include early campaign rhetoric, the nomination process and conventions, candidate strategies, presidential debates, political advertising, the use of new media, news coverage of the campaigns. This volume looks at the 2020 Presidential campaign from three categories. The first section addresses the major political campaign communication areas to include pre-primary/candidate surfacing, the conventions, the debates, political advertising, social media and news coverage of the campaign. The second section includes two unique aspects of political branding and the politics of food in the 2020 campaign. The final section of the volume provides the broad overviews of campaign spending and finance as well as the national perspective of explaining the vote. Thus, the chapters cluster around the themes of campaign communication, studies of unique or special topics relevant to the campaigns.

This edited collection explores a wide range of communication elements and themes, representing a variety of topics and methodologies. It focuses broadly on the role and function of communication within the context of the 2016 United States presidential election, with chapters devoted to topics including an overview of the election from a communication perspective, the nominations, strategies of campaign visits, the impact of gender in the campaign, the impact of WikiLeaks, front page election coverage, messaging and performance of third-party candidates, Trump's campaign announcement address, and Clinton's concession speech. This is an eclectic collection that makes a significant contribution to current understandings of the various roles of communication in the historic presidential election of 2016.

Political Campaign Communication: Theory, Method, and Practice brings a diversity of issues, topics, and events on political campaign communication around the concepts of theory, method and practice. The volume contains studies of political campaign communication utilizing a wide range of empirical, rhetorical, content analyses and social science methodologies as well as a variety of foci on the practice of political campaign communication with studies on the communication dimensions and elements of political campaigns. It reflects the growing depth, breadth, and maturity of the discipline and provides insight into a variety of topics related to political campaign communication.

This diverse and unique collection of essays examines a wide range of communication elements and themes in the context of the 2012 election. Topics include the early campaign and Romney's nomination battle, candidate image, the rhetoric and campaigning of Michelle Obama and Ann Romney, issues of race, persuasive appeals to voters, the use of music and social media, and Obama's second inaugural address. Studies of Communication in the 2012 Presidential Campaign aims not only to expand the contributions and understandings of the various roles of communication in the 2012 presidential election, but also to cultivate a more active, democratic citizenry.

Presidential campaigns are our national conversations - the widespread and complex communication of issues, images, social reality, and personas. Political communication specialists break down the 2012 presidential campaign and go beyond the quantitative facts, electoral counts, and poll results of the election, to make sense of the "political bits" of communication that comprise our voting choices. The contributors look at the early campaign period, the nomination process and conventions, the social and political contexts, the debates, the role of candidate spouses, candidate strategies, political strategies, and the use of the Internet and other technologies.

To simply say the 2008 presidential election was historic seems like an understatement. The election was unique in many ways beyond the selection of the nation's first African-American as President. The drama of the election was also heightened by the historic nomination battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The contest generated issues of race and gender throughout the campaign, as did the candidacy of Sarah Palin as the Republican Vice Presidential nominee. And John McCain brought his own unique qualities to the campaign: Vietnam War hero, long-term Congressional service record, feisty temperament, and the oldest first-time presidential candidate to run for the Presidency. Thus, issues of race, gender and age dominated the campaign both implicitly and explicitly. The candidacies of Clinton, Obama, McCain and Palin provided the context and dynamics for charges of racism, sexism and ageism. Studies of Identity in the 2008 Presidential Campaign explores issues of identity politics and the presidential election. Investigating all aspects of race, gender or ageism, the contributors to this volume address the role and function of "identity politics" in political campaigns, and highlight challenges of "identity politics" in contemporary political campaigns.

To simply say the 2008 presidential election was historic seems like an understatement. The election was unique in many ways beyond the selection of the nation's first African-American as President. The drama of the election was also heightened by the historic nomination battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The contest generated issues of race and gender throughout the campaign, as did the candidacy of Sarah Palin as the Republican Vice Presidential nominee. And John McCain brought his own unique qualities to the campaign: Vietnam War hero, long-term Congressional service record, feisty temperament, and the oldest first-time presidential candidate to run for the Presidency. Thus, issues of race, gender and age dominated the campaign both implicitly and explicitly. The candidacies of Clinton, Obama, McCain and Palin provided the context and dynamics for charges of racism, sexism and ageism. Studies of Identity in the 2008 Presidential Campaign explores issues of identity politics and the presidential election. Investigating all aspects of race, gender or ageism, the contributors to this volume address the role and function of 'identity politics' in political campaigns, and highlight challenges of 'identity politics' in contemporary political campaigns.

Communicator-in-Chief: How Barack Obama Used New Media Technology to Win the White House examines the fascinating and precedent-setting role new media technologies and the Internet played in the 2008 presidential campaign that allowed for the historic election of the nation's first African American president. It was the first presidential campaign in which the Internet, the electorate, and political campaign strategies for the White House successfully converged to propel a candidate to the highest elected office in the nation. The contributors to this volume masterfully demonstrate how the Internet is to President Barack Obama what television was to President John Kennedy, thus making Obama a truly twenty-first century communicator and politician. Furthermore, Communicator-in-Chief argues that Obama's 2008 campaign strategies established a model that all future campaigns must follow to achieve any measure of success. The Barack Obama campaign team astutely discovered how to communicate and motivate not only the general electorate but also the technology-addicted Millennial Generation - a generational voting block that will be a juggernaut in future elections.

Communicator-in-Chief: How Barack Obama Used New Media Technology to Win the White House examines the fascinating and precedent-setting role new media technologies and the Internet played in the 2008 presidential campaign that allowed for the historic election of the nation's first African American president. It was the first presidential campaign in which the Internet, the electorate, and political campaign strategies for the White House successfully converged to propel a candidate to the highest elected office in the nation. The contributors to this volume masterfully demonstrate how the Internet is to President Barack Obama what television was to President John Kennedy, thus making Obama a truly twenty-first century communicator and politician. Furthermore, Communicator-in-Chief argues that Obama's 2008 campaign strategies established a model that all future campaigns must follow to achieve any measure of success. The Barack Obama campaign team astutely discovered how to communicate and motivate not only the general electorate but also the technology-addicted Millennial Generation - a generational voting block that will be a juggernaut in future elections.

What led up to the great debacle of the American 2000 presidential election? Denton and his colleagues analyze the presidential campaign with a special focus on key topics and elements of political communication. Their analyses go beyond the quantitative facts, electoral counts, and poll results, inspecting the nuts and bolts of what became one of the most controversial elections in American history.

Each chapter focuses on a specific area of political campaign communication, including: DEGREESL DEGREESL DEGREESDBLThe early campaign period DEGREESL DEGREESDBLThe nomination process and conventions DEGREESL DEGREESDBLCandidate strategies DEGREESL DEGREESDBLPresidential debates DEGREESL DEGREESDBLPolitical advertising DEGREESL DEGREESDBLThe use of the Internet DEGREESL DEGREESDBLNews coverage DEGREESL DEGREESDBLPolitical cartoons of the campaign DEGREESL DEGREESL This definitive resource is ideal for scholars, students, the general public, and other researchers interested in political communication, A

This essay collection examines ethical concerns related to the traditional areas of political communication, including campaigns, media, discourse, and advertising, as well as new technologies, including the Internet. In total, the collection provides one of the few volumes to examine political ethics from an academic perspective rather than from a moralistic or rule orientation. Bruce Gronbeck provides an assessment of presidential campaigns, arguing that ethical judgments of citizens are based on candidates' actions and motives, character, and competence. Ronald Lee explores the ethics of campaign discourse, and he charts the relationship between presidential candidates' projection of civic virtue and the political arrangements that dictate the course of the campaign itself. Steven Goldzwig and Patricia Sullivan examine what happens to discourse when the divide between the haves and have-nots translates into a local community disconnected from virtual politics. The nature, types, and impact of the growing use of hate speech in contemporary politics is explored by Rita Whillock, while Robert Denton investigates television as an instrument of governing and its impact on the nature of democracy. Gary Woodward looks at the ethics of political journalism, and Lynda Lee Kaid analyzes the ethical issues raised by political advertising in all forms. Clifford Jones looks at the impact of campaign finance rules on campaign communication strategy; Gary Selnow explores the ethics of politics on the Internet; and Robert Denton concludes by examining the relationship between constitutional authority and public morality. An important text for students as well as scholars investigating contemporary American politics.

This essay collection examines ethical concerns related to the traditional areas of political communication, including campaigns, media, discourse, and advertising, as well as new technologies, including the Internet. In total, the collection provides one of the few volumes to examine political ethics from an academic perspective rather than from a moralistic or rule orientation.

Bruce Gronbeck provides an assessment of presidential campaigns, arguing that ethical judgments of citizens are based on candidates' actions and motives, character, and competence. Ronald Lee explores the ethics of campaign discourse, and he charts the relationship between presidential candidates' projection of civic virtue and the political arrangements that dictate the course of the campaign itself. Steven Goldzwig and Patricia Sullivan examine what happens to discourse when the divide between the haves and have-nots translates into a local community disconnected from virtual politics. The nature, types, and impact of the growing use of hate speech in contemporary politics is explored by Rita Whillock, while Robert Denton investigates television as an instrument of governing and its impact on the nature of democracy. Gary Woodward looks at the ethics of political journalism, and Lynda Lee Kaid analyzes the ethical issues raised by political advertising in all forms. Clifford Jones looks at the impact of campaign finance rules on campaign communication strategy; Gary Selnow explores the ethics of politics on the Internet; and Robert Denton concludes by examining the relationship between constitutional authority and public morality. An important text for students as well as scholars investigating contemporary American politics.

Denton and Woodward provide a newly updated revision of their classic in political communication. This pioneering text provides a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the role and function of communication in American politics.

A synthesis of some of the best writing in political communication from the fields of communication, political science, journalism, and history, this edition features completely new chapters on the topics of campaign management, congressional campaigns, politics and popular culture, and unofficial Washington. This edition also reflects updated sources and recent examples. Students and scholars in the fields of communication, political science, political sociology, and contemporary American political history will find this text invaluable.

Denton and Woodward provide a newly updated revision of their classic in political communication. This pioneering text provides a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the role and function of communication in American politics.

A synthesis of some of the best writing in political communication from the fields of communication, political science, journalism, and history, this edition features completely new chapters on the topics of campaign management, congressional campaigns, politics and popular culture, and unofficial Washington. This edition also reflects updated sources and recent examples. Students and scholars in the fields of communication, political science, political sociology, and contemporary American political history will find this text invaluable.