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Most information about the role of political consultants in elections has been limited to analyses of the few major firms that manage presidential and major congressional contenders. Political Empiricism shifts the focus of research to state and regional races, examining the strategies and variables unique to the smaller political campaigns. Rita Kirk Whillock describes how severe budgetary constraints, inexperienced campaign staffs, and extremely limited voter research change the face of political campaigns on the state and local levels.
Each chapter of this volume presents a mixture of the theoretical and the practical, providing a link between current scholarship and real campaign strategies. The volume's case study approach explores key issues and concerns of political communication, including incumbency, image, gender, fundraising, advertising, and message strategies. Political Empiricism stands as a significant scholarly account that balances the existing bias toward analyses of national campaign strategies, and helps close the gap between communications practice and theory. Highly recommended for scholars and students of political communication and political science.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
About the Series by Robert E. Denton, Jr.
Foreword by Robert E. Denton, Jr.
Four "Given" CasesThe Triumph of an Underdog: The Role of a Communication Scholar as a Consultant for One Mayoral Election
Challenge and Recovery: An Incumbent's Battle for Position in a State Senate Race
Running on the Family Name: The Impact of Gender and Issue Framing on the Race of a Political Newcomer
Death at the Hands of Consultants: An Analysis of Defeat in the 1990 Alabama Gubernatorial Primary
"Available Means of Persuasion"Constructing Persuasive Arguments
The Torch of the Word
The Climate for Image Campaigns
The Shot: Constructing Persuasive Images
The Faculty of Observing a Campaign's Critical JuncturesCriticism, Co-optation and Cynicism: Response Strategies for Handling Hostile Situations
The Spin: Public Relations and Elections
Fund-Raising: Turning Images and Arguments into Capital
Bibliography
Index
Über den Autor / die Autorin
RITA KIRK WHILLOCK is Assistant Professor of Communication at Southern Methodist University. She has served as a political analyst for WAFF-TV and WAAY-TV in Huntsville, and is currently a media consultant for Alabama and Texas political races.
