Conversations of Democracy: Linking Citizens to American Government / Edition 1

by Stephen E. Frantzich

Overview

Democratic politics involves a series of multi-directional conversations. Effective conversations have the potential to engage, educate, and animate both citizens and governmental officials. On the individual level, discovering successful conversational strategies benefits both political and social interaction. This book offers guidelines for conducting effective conversations personally, politically, and beyond such that readers of this book are unlikely to ever again look at conversation in the same way. New technologies and social trends both challenge and potentially enhance traditional face-to-face and media dominated conversations. Understanding the state, quality and potential of political conversations provides a unique perspective for evaluating and potentially improving government "by the people."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594517549
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/30/2010
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Politics and Democracy as Conversation 1

Chapter 2 Characteristics of a Good Conversation 13

Chapter 3 Conversational Strategies 25

Chapter 4 The Value of Conversation in a Democracy 53

Chapter 5 The Informational Requirements of a Good Conversation 66

Chapter 6 The Social Setting of Contemporary Conversation 103

Chapter 7 The Language of Political Conversation 130

Chapter 8 The New Technology of Conversation 147

Chapter 9 Institutionalized Conversation 170

Chapter 10 Beyond Talking 198

Notes 205

Index 223

About the Author 234

Editorial Reviews

"For over three decades C-SPAN has attempted to improve America’s political conversation. Steve Frantzich takes the idea of multi-level conversations as the key defining element of democratic politics. In the process, he shows how the principles of good conversations are used and abused in contemporary political conversation."
—Brian Lamb, Founder of C-SPAN

"Frantzich has written an engaging book about one of the foundations of healthy democracy: talking with one another about politics and pursuing constructive, deliberative public dialogue. Frantzich has crafted an accessible book that draws on secondary studies to develop a conversation with readers…This pragmatic how-to book fits in nicely with other books that address the erosion of basic democracy and link this erosion to declining social capital, hyperindividualism, and the shrinkage of community activity…Recommended.”
—CHOICE August 2011 Vol 48 No. 11

From the Publisher