Engaging the Public How Government and the Media Can Reinvigorate American Democracy

by Hays, Carol E.; Hays, Scott P.; Simon, Paul; Austin, Erica Weintraub; Becker, Theodore L.; Bennett, Stephen Earl; Budzisz, Christopher; Burchett, Justin; Calvert, Jerry; Chaffee, Steven H.; Doppelt, Jack; Drew, Dan; Eveland, William P., Jr.; Horowitz, Edw

• ISBN13: 9780847688906
• ISBN10: 0847688909
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-09-03
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

This volume of original essays by leading political scientists and media scholars examines the nature of political disengagement among the public and offers concrete solutions for how the government and media can stimulate public engagement in the political process.

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Disengagement and Reform	p. 1
Citizen Engagement: The People	p. 11
No-Show '96: Americans Who Do Not Vote	p. 17
Alienation and the "Soccer Mom:" A Media Creation or a New Trend in Voting Behavior?	p. 29
Alienation, Engagement, and the College Student: A Focus Group Study	p. 41
Second Chance Political Socialization: "Trickle-up" Effects of Children on Parents	p. 57
Citizen Engagement: The Media	p. 67
Media and Participation: Breaking the Spiral of Disaffection	p. 75
Voter Interest and Participation in the 1996 Presidential Election: Did the Debates Matter?	p. 87
Consequences of Negative Political Advertising Exposure	p. 97
Political Talk Radio Shows' Impact on Democratic Citizenship	p. 111
A Vehicle for Engagement or a Haven for the Disaffected? Internet Use, Political Alienation, and Voter Participation	p. 123
Citizen Engagement: Reform	p. 137
Election Law Reform and Turnout: What Works?	p. 143
Voting Trends in the States: The Impact of Reform	p. 153
Early Voting in Tennessee: Removing Barriers to Participation	p. 167
Armchair Voting: The Vote-by-Mail Experiment in the State of Oregon	p. 175
DebateWatch '96 and Citizen Engagement: Building Democracy through Citizen Communication	p. 185
Going Beyond Adults and Voter Turnout: Evaluating a Socialization Program Involving Schools, Family and Media	p. 195
Increasing the Quality and Quantity of Citizen Participation: New Technologies and New Techniques	p. 207
Engaging the Public: An Agenda for Reform	p. 217
References	p. 235
Index	p. 265
About the Contributors	p. 277
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