Political Communication: Rhetoric, Government, and Citizens

FEATURES
--presents political communication as an ongoing societal dialogue about public issues such as education, welfare, war, health care, and taxes, as well as election campaigns

--describes politics as a fundamentally rhetorical process, emphasizing language choices and their effects on how issues are defined and public policy shaped

--explores the effects of euphemisms, social myths, government secrecy and surveillance, and common metaphors on the democratic process

--emphasizes the skills and understandings necessary for citizens to take an active role in the democratic process

--provides a conceptual framework for understanding major political ideologies and how they influence perspectives and arguments

--draws examples from a broad range of historical and contemporary issues, events, and political commentary

--highlights key concepts, societal contexts, and applications by opening each chapter with a pertinent quotation and ending with questions for further consideration

FEATURES OF THE NEW EDITION
--New, up-to-date examples and analyses reflect current political issues and discourse, showing the continuing importance of concepts and principles.

--The rising significance of the Internet in politics, with its potential and limitations, is discussed in a new appendix by Candace Todd and elsewhere in the book.

--Some material has been revised to be more accessible to students and more flexible to classroom needs. (See, for example, Chapters 8 and 9, "Sexual Language and Politics" and "The Marriage Metaphor in Politics.")