Democracy on the Line - by Benjamin R Warner & Dianne G Bystrom & Mitchell S McKinney & Mary C Banwart (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Leading scholars of political communication analyze the most defining and groundbreaking moments of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

With cutting-edge work on the ubiquitous presidency, a new theory of racial socialization, trailblazing theorizing on neurodiversity in political media coverage, and new conceptualizations of masculinity, this volume covers the key events and messages that defined 2024's polarizing election cycle. Chapters include analysis of some of the most significant presidential debates in the history of the United States; the replacement of Joe Biden with Kamala Harris on the Democratic presidential ticket; the memes that Harris's surprise candidacy launched; the battle on the airwaves for message supremacy; broader discourses around threats to democracy, reproductive rights, and immigrants; and cultural conversations about race, gender, and sexuality. The book will include quantitative, qualitative, and rhetorical scholarship to provide a full picture of campaign communication that engages every corner of the field. The result is an essential collection for anyone seeking to understand modern campaign communication or anyone wishing to keep a permanent record of this historic election.

About the Author

Benjamin R. Warner is Professor of Communication and Director of the Political Communication Institute at the University of Missouri, USA. Along with Dianne G. Bystrom, Mitchell S. McKinney, and Mary C. Banwart, he is a co-editor of Democracy Disrupted: Communication in the Volatile 2020 Presidential Election (Bloomsbury, 2022) and An Unprecedented Election: Media, Communication, and the Electorate in the 2016 Campaign (2018). His research focuses on the polarizing effects of partisan media, new media echo-chambers, political campaigns, and presidential debates.

Dianne G. Bystrom is Director Emerita of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, Iowa State University, USA. Her research focuses on the role of gender in political campaigns, primarily the self-presentation of female and male political candidates in their television ads and their coverage by the media.

Mitchell S. McKinney is Professor of Communication and Dean of the Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences, University of Akron, USA. He is a leading scholar of presidential debates, having served as an adviser to the U.S. Commission on Presidential Debates where his work was instrumental in developing the Town Hall debate format.

Mary Christine Banwart is Professor of Communication Studies and Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, University of Kansas, USA. Her research focuses on political campaign communication and the role of gender in political campaigns.