When Politicians Attack: Party Cohesion in the MediaFostering a positive brand name is the chief benefit parties provide for their members. They do this both by coordinating their activities in the legislative process and by communicating with voters. Whereas political scientists have generally focused on the former, dismissing partisan communication as cheap talk, this book argues that a party's ability to coordinate its communication has important implications for the study of politics. The macro-level institutional setting of a party's communication heavily influences that party's prospects for cohesive communication. Paradoxically, unified government presents the greatest challenge to unified communication within the president's party. As this book argues, the challenge stems primarily from two sources: the constitutional separation of powers and the intervening role of the news media. In this setting, internal disputes with the president or within the congressional majority are more likely to arise; these disputes are disproportionately likely to be featured by the news media, and stories of intra-party strife become the most credible and damaging type of partisan story. |
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agenda American Political analysis argue attacks Axiom Barack Obama Baum and Groeling Bill Clinton Bob Dole broadcast Bush Bush's campaign candidates Charlie Melancon Clinton CMPA data coding cohesion congressional Democrats congressional party congressional Republicans Contract Contract with America Costly Credibility coverage cross-party dataset divided government election electoral example fellow partisans franchise George W Gingrich Groeling data Hypothesis institutional intraparty issues journalists Leader legislative party Lipinski majority party McDonald’s members of Congress message discipline midterm minority NAFTA newsworthiness Newt Gingrich nonpresidential party nonpresidential-party criticism nonpresidential-party praise Obama opposing partisan partisan messages party brand name party government party in Congress party’s Pew Research Center Political Science politicians predictions preferences president presidential approval presidential party presidential-party criticism presidential-party praise Press rally reform rhetoric Senate sources statements stories strategy Table target television unified government viewers vote voters Washington White House World News Tonight