Dynamics of Political Communication

Richard M. Perloff, Distinguished Professor of Communication, Political Science, and Psychology at Cleveland State University, is well known for his scholarship on the third-person effect, political communication, and persuasion. Perloff has published articles in Communication Research, Communication Theory, and Mass Communication and Society, receiving a 2024 Article of the Year Award for a co-authored article (with L.J. Shen) on the third-person effect. He has published numerous essays in The Cleveland Plain Dealer and letters over the past several decades in The New York Times. A dedicated teacher, Perloff has received awards for his teaching at Cleveland State University.

“The Dynamics of Political Communication rips open the playbook of modern politics, exposing how media, messaging, and digital propaganda don’t just try to report reality. They create it. This book unveils the hidden machinery of persuasion that fuels division, manufactures outrage, and decides who holds power. I know you may think you are immune to media influence. Think again. Fortunately, The Dynamics of Political Communication is here to help you!”Homero Gil de Zúñiga, Pennsylvania State University, USA“Perloff cuts through the messy practices and powerful structures of American political communication with breadth, pace, and thoughtfulness. As fair as it is informative and loaded with relevant examples, this new edition provides a skeleton key for students no less than citizens and communications professionals to effectively negotiate the chaotic political swirl of the roaring 2020s.”Zac Gershberg, Idaho State University, USA“In this latest 4th edition of The Dynamics of Political Communication, Rick Perloff once again performs admirable service for the field of media politics research, cataloging the advances taking place in a rapidly evolving information landscape and increasingly contentious political arena. Moving from definitions of contemporary politics to philosophical understandings of democracy, the book carefully explains diverse approaches to the study of political communication while covering foundational concepts, theories and cutting-edge research. Important aspects of political campaigning are inventoried, as well. Readers at all levels will come away with a more nuanced understanding of the vital press-politics-public nexus by engaging with the contents that await.”Erik P. Bucy, Texas Tech University, USA“The Dynamics of Political Communication covers a wide variety of topics and provides a solid background and foundation of political communications that illustrates the multifaceted relationship of media and politics.”Molly Henderson, University of Memphis, USA“This book addresses the need for timely coverage of recent political developments and emerging phenomena. Perloff has written a comprehensive theoretical and practical resource for those interested in the study of political campaigns, politicized debates, and media effects in a new information age. The textbook is essential for understanding the foundations of political communication and recommended for both undergraduate and graduate students.” Sergei A. Samoilenko, George Mason University, USA“Perloff’s new edition of The Dynamics of Political Communication empowers students to navigate the intricate and ever-evolving landscape of political communication. Through real-world examples and case studies, students gain a deep understanding of the role of media and communication in shaping public opinion, policy-making, and global affairs. In an age of political extremism, social media misinformation, culture wars, hyper-partisan media, propaganda, and artificial intelligence, Perloff equips students with an indispensable resource to appreciate the complex dynamics of political communication.” Marco Ehrl, Kutztown University, USA

• PART ONE: FOUNDATIONS OF POLITICAL COMMUNICATION 1. Introduction 2. Defining and Understanding Contemporary Politics 3. Defining and Understanding Political Communication 4. Philosophy, Democracy, and Political Communication PART TWO: POLITICAL COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS AND EFFECTS 5. The Scholarly Study of Political Communication 6. Political Socialization, News, and Citizenship 7. The Political Communication Effects Triumvirate: Agenda-setting, Priming, and Framing 8. The Partisan Psychology of Political Communication: From Selective Perception to Social Media Effects 9. Presidential Rhetoric From Television to Tweeting 10. Understanding the Biases and Underpinnings of Political News 11. Macro Determinants of Political News PART THREE: PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN PROCESSES: EFFECTS AND ISSUES 12. Presidential Nominations in the Media Age 13. Political Advertising and Marketing in Presidential Election Campaigns 14. Presidential Debates and Postscript