American Politics Commons^™

Is “Fake News” The New News? The Effect Of “The Daily Show” On Media And Political Knowledge, Heather Avenson

Political Science Theses and Capstones

One can hardly argue the impact that “The Daily Show” and “Colbert Report” have had on popular culture. But do these shows also hold an impact on journalism and political knowledge? In other words, are “The Daily Show” and “Colbert Report” reasonable sources of news? Using data gathered by the Pew Research Center in April of 2008, and by myself through a survey of Bemidji State University students enrolled in political science courses, I attempt to answer the following questions: Are people who watch either “The Daily Show” or “Colbert Report” more informed than their counterparts? Do people who watch …

I Know What You Did Last Summer: The Ballot Initiative And Voter Turnout, Shayne Henry

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

“Know Thy Neighbor,” a public interest group established in 2005, has grabbed headlines in recent years for making public (or threatening to make public) the names of hundreds of thousands of registered voters who signed petitions qualifying anti-gay rights measures for state general election ballots in Massachusetts, Florida, Arkansas, Oregon, and Washington. These names, together with the mailing addresses, birthdates, and dates of signature for each signer, have long been public information in most states, but never before have they been put into a format (i.e., searchable, online databases) making them easy to access and analyze. In this pilot project, …

The Unity Of Division: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Selected Speeches From Barack Obama's 2008 Presidential Campaign, Reymond Levy

Department of Writing and Communication Theses

No abstract provided.

Analyzing Policy Issues In Presidential Speeches And The Media: An Agenda-Setting Study, Jessica L. Hughes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For decades, researchers have maintained that the president has a significant role in setting the policy-making agenda. In this study, a grounded theory approach was applied to determine President George W. Bush's success in focusing the media's attention toward policies mentioned in his State of the Union Addresses (2002-2008). Bush's issue priorities were determined by coding individual paragraphs as themes. To identify the frequency of these same themes in the media, the front pages of The L.A. Times, The New York Times, and The Washington Post were analyzed one week before and after each address. Coding was limited to every …

Resolution Rs2008-426, Metropolitan Council

Debate '08

Resolution passed by Nashville's Metropolitan Council recognizing and congratulating Belmont University for hosting the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate.

Signed by Vice Mayor Diane Neighbors and Council Member Keith Durbin.

Attacking Ethos: The Rhetorical Use Of Uncertainty In The 2004 Election, Theron Allen Verdon

Dissertations

The rhetorical use of uncertainty in political communication (and other areas) has many implications. Uncertainty plays a major role in everyday life. Therefore, it likely plays a major role in political decision-making. Research has shown that uncertainty about a candidate affects a voter's voting preference. Uncertainty usually affects voter decisions. Uncertainty was a factor in the 2004 presidential election. The Bush-Cheney Campaign used uncertainty to corrupt the ethos of the Democratic nominee, Senator John Kerry. The Bush-Cheney campaign rhetorically manipulated information about Senator Kerry to create a perception of a leader whose actions revealed an unpredictable flip-flopper. A lack of …

Ua3/9/5 Student Rally At The Capitol, Wku President's Office

WKU Administration Documents

Speech delivered by WKU president Gary Ransdell at student rally against budget cuts in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Debate Transcript, Belmont University

Debate '08

Full transcript of the town hall presidential debate between candidates Sen. John McCain (R-ARIZ.) and Sen. Barrack Obama (D-ILL.) hosted by Belmont University on October 7, 2008. Debate moderated by Tom Brokaw.

Obtained from http://www.belmontdebate08.com.

CQ Transcriptions/Morningside.

Honorary Host Committee, Belmont University

Debate '08

2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate Honorary Host Committee, for the debate hosted by Belmont University on October 7, 2008.

Listed as being "in formation 08/22/08".

Belmont Debate 08 Sponsors, Belmont University

Debate '08

List of sponsors for the Town Hall Presidential Debate at Belmont University on October 7, 2008.

Sponsors are separated into the following six tiers: President's Level, Candidate Level, Campaign Level, Delegate Level, Precinct Level, and Voter Level.

"08 Town Hall Presidential Debate" Artistic Rendering, Phil Ponder

Debate '08

Painting by Phil Ponder placing Belmont University buildings alongside other famous/important buildings in Tennessee.

Buildings from left to right: Tennessee Capitol, James K. Polk Home, The Hermitage (Home of President Andrew Jackson), Andrew Johnson Homestead, Belmont Mansion, Curb Event Center, Belmont Bell Tower, Gordon E. Inman Center for Health Science, Parthenon, Union Station, Ryman Auditorium, L&C Tower, Fort Nashbourough, AT&T Building.

Official Debate '08 Booklet, Belmont University

Debate '08

Official Debate '08 Booklet, signed by Barack Obama and John McCain, containing history of The Commission on Presidential Debates and Belmont University.

Debate '08 Program, Belmont University

Debate '08

Program for the Town Hall Presidential Debate taking place at Belmont University's Curb Event Center on October 7, 2008.

Contains: letter from Belmont President Bob Fischer, Honorary Host Committee, Belmont University Debate '08 Programs, Debate City-Wide Schedule of Events, Debate '08 Sponsors, Debate '08 Partners, University Partners, University Partners Debate '08 Events, Belmont University Administration, Faculty and Staff, The Commission on Presidential Debates, and a brief note about Belmont University.

Debate '08 Programming Schedule, Belmont University

Debate '08

Schedule for the extensive amount of programming Belmont University put together as part of their "Art Of Being Free" campus theme. The initiative dovetailed with the Town Hall Presidential Debate hosted by Belmont University on October 7, 2008.

Debate '08 Report Brochure, Belmont University

Debate '08

Report on the Town Hall Presidential Debate held on October 7, 2008 at Belmont University, done in the style of a photo-abundant brochure.

The Unbearable Lightness Of Debating: Performance Ambiguity And Social Influence, Matthew B. Kugler, George R. Goethals

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

This chapter considers three sets of studies on how social influence affects perceptions of candidates' performances in presidential debates. The first set shows that perceptions are influenced markedly by the reactions of peers watching the debate at the same time or by televised audiences shown on broadcast debates. The second set shows that expectations created by news accounts prior to debates also have significant impact and that different kinds of news accounts affect different viewers in distinct ways. Individuals with a high need for cognition respond well to more complicated messages that advance some reason as to why an apparently …

Democracy In Practice: Lessons From New England, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Kevin Dye

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

Political decision-making by elites require some form of civilian participation to regain legitimacy. Increasingly groups of Citizens do not trust in political elites and are increasingly frustrated by their behavior. When faced with the problem of diversity, even established democracies face problems of managing diversity. In the global context differences of opinion, culture, religion etc has defined many of the New Wars (Kaldor 1999). In the United States many non-state and semi-governmental organizations have developed programs to increase public knowledge of the legislature and its decision-making processes. The ultimate purpose of this is to exercise some control over state power. …

Blog's Growth In Presidential Candidates Campaign Coverage During The Democratic And Republican Nomination Process, Lisa Musante

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Ua3/9/5 House & Senate Budget Subcommittees, Wku President's Office

WKU Administration Documents

Card of talking points used by WKU president Gary Ransdell while lobbying state legislators to increase WKU's budget.

Ua3/9/5 Legislative Priorities, Wku President's Office

WKU Administration Documents

Legislative priorities talking points card used by WKU president Gary Ransdell when meeting with state legislators in 2006.

New Strategies For An Old Medium: The Weekly Radio Addresses Of Reagan And Clinton, Lori Cox Han

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

"While a rich literature exists on presidential communications (including the public/rhetorical presidency and the presidential/press relationship), only recently have presidential scholars begun to analyze weekly radio addresses as an important primary unit of analysis (Rowland and Jones 2002; Sigelman and Whissell 2002a, 2002b). This article analyzes how the use of radio has fit into the overall development of White House communication strategies during the television age, and takes an in-depth look at how Reagan and Clinton used weekly radio addresses to communicate with both the American public and the news media. Specifically, the issues considered here include the strategy development …

The President Over The Public: The Plebiscitary Presidency At Center Stage, Lori Cox Han

Political Science Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"In this chapter, I will address the question of the usefulness of the public presidency in the current political environment (that is, can a president’s communication strategy make a difference in terms of what he achieves), as well as the constitutional danger, if any, posed by a president’s attempt at public leadership. Has the public presidency, and its focus on the public aspects of the office, thrown the constitutional balance of power between the three branches out of balance? Does the president really gain political power within the constitutional framework of our government if he is a skilled and effective …

Political Contributions By Asian Americans: An Analysis Of The 2002 Massachusetts Gubernatorial Campaign, Paul Watanabe, Gregory Kim-Ju

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

The Institute for Asian American Studies has analyzed and chronicled, often for the first time, the involvement of Asian Americans in the daily life of the Commonwealth. Over the last few decades Massachusetts has experienced a remarkably rapid growth in its Asian American population. Between 1990 and 2000, for example, this population grew by 67.5% to 238,124. Asian Americans now constitute just under 4% of the state’s population

Ua3/9/5 Comments Before House Appropriations & Revenue Budget Review Subcommittee, Wku President's Office

WKU Administration Documents

Comments made by WKU president Gary Ransdell to the Kentucky House Appropriations & Revenue Budget Review Subcommittee regarding the need for education funding.

Election 2000: Aarp Portrayals Of Presidential Candidates And Issues, Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, Michael L. Hilt

Communication Faculty Publications

The 2000 United States presidential election was one of the closest in history, and issues of importance to older Americans such as Social Security, prescription drugs, and taxes were front and center in the national debate. This article examines how AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, portrayed the candidates and issues through its two publications: AARP Bulletin and Modern Maturity.

The 2000 United States presidential election was one of the closest in history (Kranish & Johnson, 2000). Additionally, throughout the summer and fall of 2000, poll data suggested a split electorate (Whitman, 2000). Issues of importance to older …

Five Trends In Presidential Rhetoric: An Analysis Of Rhetoric From George Washington To Bill Clinton, Elvin T. Lim

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Several political scientists have argued that the presidential recourse to public rhetoric as a mode of political influence in the twentieth century represents a significant departure from a pre-twentieth-century institutional norm where “going public” was both rare and frowned upon. This article looks specifically at the changes in the substance of rhetoric that have accompanied this alleged institutional transformation. Applying computer-assisted content analysis to all the inaugural addresses and annual messages delivered between 1789 and 2000, the author identifies and explores five significant changes in twentieth-century presidential rhetoric that would qualifiedly support the thesis of institutional transformation in its rhetorical …

Trends. The United States Presidential Election: Curds And Wheys, Words And Cays, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses the corruption of language and meaning in U.S. politics, particularly involving the U.S. presidential election.

Terrorism In The Mideast And The United States Republican Presidential Campaign: Ideological Terror And Public Discourse, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes the use of ideological terror by the United States (US) Republican presidential campaign in the wake of the terrorist attack on the USS Cole.

Trends. Rat Psychology During The United States Presidential Election, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article examines the ethics of the alleged use of subliminal perception - the word"Rats" superimposed on an attack on Vice President Gore's health care plans - by representatives of the Bush campaign in the 2000 presidential election.

Trends. No More Rogue Nations And The Power Of Words: A Coup For Ibpp?, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses the possible consequences of the choice of political language regarding "rogue nations," and "states of concern."