Uncivil Wars gives students the full picture of political campaigning. The text discusses all levels of campaigns — local, state, and national — and exposes students to a wide range of theoretical work from communication, journalism, political science, and sociology.
New coverage assesses the influence of the Internet on contemporary campaigns. Entirely devoted to communication technologies, Chapter 8 discusses how campaigns have used everything from the telegraph to the Internet to spread their message and reach out to voters. New discussions cover online fundraising, e-mail campaigns, candidates’ use of YouTube and MySpace, and the danger of viral videos that can spread quickly on the Internet.
Up-to-date coverage of campaign financing examines the recent financial scandals in Congress, the reforms made to campaign finance law, and the record-shattering fundraising by the 2008 presidential candidates to show the power of money to shape, support, or destroy campaigns.
New examples and data throughout the entire book make the new edition the most current available and provide students with the content they want to learn about. New sections include "Campaigning During the Iraq War" and "Gender Politics," the importance of creating an appropriate image in the media, causes of today’s political cynicism, and expanded coverage of the effects of televised debates on voters.