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The media have long played an important role in the modern
political process and the 2016 presidential campaign was no
different. From Trump's tweets and cable-show-call-ins to Sander's
social media machine to Clinton's "Trump Yourself" app and podcast,
journalism, social and digital media, and entertainment media were
front-and-center in 2016. Clearly, political media played a
dominant and disruptive role in our democratic process. This book
helps to explain the role of these media and communication outlets
in the 2016 presidential election. This thorough study of how
political communication evolved in 2016 examines the disruptive
role communication technology played in the 2016 presidential
primary campaign and general election and how voters sought and
received political information. The Presidency and Social Media
includes top scholars from leading research institutions using
various research methodologies to generate new understandings-both
theoretical and practical-for students, researchers, journalists,
and practitioners.
The media have long played an important role in the modern
political process and the 2016 presidential campaign was no
different. From Trump's tweets and cable-show-call-ins to Sander's
social media machine to Clinton's "Trump Yourself" app and podcast,
journalism, social and digital media, and entertainment media were
front-and-center in 2016. Clearly, political media played a
dominant and disruptive role in our democratic process. This book
helps to explain the role of these media and communication outlets
in the 2016 presidential election. This thorough study of how
political communication evolved in 2016 examines the disruptive
role communication technology played in the 2016 presidential
primary campaign and general election and how voters sought and
received political information. The Presidency and Social Media
includes top scholars from leading research institutions using
various research methodologies to generate new understandings-both
theoretical and practical-for students, researchers, journalists,
and practitioners.
Americans are losing touch with reality. On virtually every issue,
from climate change to immigration, tens of millions of Americans
have opinions and beliefs wildly at odds with fact, rendering them
unable to think sensibly about politics. In How America Lost Its
Mind, Thomas E. Patterson explains the rise of a world of
"alternative facts" and the slow-motion cultural and political
calamity unfolding around us. We don't have to search far for the
forces that are misleading us and tearing us apart: politicians for
whom division is a strategy; talk show hosts who have made an
industry of outrage; news outlets that wield conflict as a
marketing tool; and partisan organizations and foreign agents who
spew disinformation to advance a cause, make a buck, or simply
amuse themselves. The consequences are severe. How America Lost Its
Mind maps a political landscape convulsed with distrust, gridlock,
brinksmanship, petty feuding, and deceptive messaging. As dire as
this picture is, and as unlikely as immediate relief might be,
Patterson sees a way forward and underscores its urgency. A call to
action, his book encourages us to wrest institutional power from
ideologues and disruptors and entrust it to sensible citizens and
leaders, to restore our commitment to mutual tolerance and
restraint, to cleanse the Internet of fake news and disinformation,
and to demand a steady supply of trustworthy and relevant
information from our news sources. As philosopher Hannah Arendt
wrote decades ago, the rise of demagogues is abetted by "people for
whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no
longer exists." In How America Lost Its Mind, Thomas E. Patterson
makes a passionate case for fully and fiercely engaging on the side
of truth and mutual respect in our present arms race between fact
and fake, unity and division, civility and incivility.
As the journalist Walter Lippmann noted nearly a century ago,
democracy falters "if there is no steady supply of trustworthy and
relevant news." Today's journalists are not providing it. Too
often, reporters give equal weight to facts and biased opinion,
stir up small controversies, and substitute infotainment for real
news. Even when they get the facts rights, they often misjudge the
context in which they belong.
Information is the lifeblood of a healthy democracy. Public opinion
and debate suffer when citizens are misinformed about current
affairs, as is increasingly the case. Though the failures of
today's communication system cannot be blamed solely on the news
media, they are part of the problem, and the best hope for
something better.
Patterson proposes "knowledge-based journalism" as a corrective.
Unless journalists are more deeply informed about the subjects they
cover, they will continue to misinterpret them and to be vulnerable
to manipulation by their sources. In this book, derived from a
multi-year initiative of the Carnegie Corporation and the Knight
Foundation, Patterson calls for nothing less than a major overhaul
of journalism practice and education. The book speaks not only to
journalists but to all who are concerned about the integrity of the
information on which America's democracy depends.
This comprehensive text is known for its engaging narrative and its
positive presentation of the latest developments in scholarship and
real-life politics. Through the use of narrative, "The American
Democracy" weaves together theory, information, and examples in
ways that highlight key points, make them easy to understand, and
capture readers' interest. The Texas edition includes eight
additional chapters that examine the government and politics of the
Lone Star State including the Texas State Constitution, interest
groups, political parties and elections, the legislature, the
governor and state agencies, the court system, and local government
in Texas.
""There are a lot of bad republicans; there are no good
democrats."--Ann Coulter"
In today's climate of hyper-partisanship, blurred lines between
political news, analysis, and entertainment, and outrageous
comments from the chattering classes, who better than Tom Patterson
to provide students with the tools and context to make informed
judgments and become skilled political thinkers? Patterson's "The
American Democracy" has long been a best seller for American
government courses due to its insightful, readable, and balanced
portrayal of the American political system. The 10th edition
continues this tradition of excellence while also introducing a new
emphasis on political thinking at a time when the partisan divide
seemingly could not be wider and unbiased political information is
often drowned out by other sources.
With expertise in the areas of public opinion, the media, and
elections among other areas, Tom Patterson is a voice you can trust
to help develop your students critical thinking skills when it
comes to politics and political science. As Patterson notes,
"Political thinking takes place within the context of a person's
political interests and values, which can lead equally thoughtful
individuals to reach opposing opinions on the same issue." If you
are looking for learning materials to help ensure your students
leave your course among those "thoughtful individuals" that will
carry the debate forward in measured and informed ways, "The
American Democracy" is the right choice for you.
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