When Politicians Attack
Party Cohesion in the Media

A study of the consequences of partisan communication on the stability of unified government of the United States.

Tim Groeling (Author)

9780521842099, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 19 July 2010

256 pages, 4 b/w illus. 34 tables
23.7 x 15.8 x 2.2 cm, 0.52 kg

'… clearly written and organized. [This book] contains engaging prose and many vivid examples to illustrate its argument. It would be a good choice for graduate classes or advanced undergraduate classes on political communication, parties, or Congress.' Jonathan M. Ladd, Public Opinion Quarterly

Fostering 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.

1. Introduction: singing from the same hymnbook: party cohesion in the media
2. McParty: cohesion and the party 'brand name'
3. Man bites president: the mediation of partisan communication
4. Breaking the eleventh commandment: party cohesion in presidential news
5. Life in the shadows: the president's legislative party as newsmaker
6. When politicians attack: the political implications of partisan conflict in the media
7. With enemies like these: the silver lining of divided government
8. Conclusion: uncircling the firing squad: party cohesion in a new media era.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP], Media studies [JFD], Communication studies [GTC]