On the morning of September 1, 1960, Herb Klein and Pierre Salinger met in the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., to discuss the details of what would be the first televised presidential debate. Klein was press secretary for Republican candidate Vice President Richard Nixon and Salinger was press secretary for Democratic candidate Senator John…

The next American president will likely be the candidate who crafts the best "impression" in the media. It is the job of social studies teachers to help students separate impressions from substance and to understand the role that media play in crafting people's meaning making and shaping their decision making. Social studies teachers can help…

Some might perceive a contradiction-in-terms in the claim that an appointment to the United States Supreme Court demands, or even permits, a political campaign. However, where there is a choice--a judgment identifying the preference for one proposition, or one person, over another--there is politics, there is rhetoric, and there is an ethical…

Examines the legend Eugene Debs fostered, calling for a renewal of American virtue. Argues that a more sympathetic view of Debs' radicalism is achieved by looking at him against the Judeo-Christian tradition of Old Testament prophecy. (RAE)

Presents a study which focuses on the use of network radio in the presidential campaigns of 1932 and 1936. Discusses the use of performance skills and sales techniques in broadcasts made by the Democrats and Republicans over the two major networks: the Columbia Broadcasting System and the National Broadcasting System. Examines how radio…

This is the 18th volume of the bound periodical, "American Journal of Education." This work, the initial volume of a proposed annual publication, has been prepared to meet an increasing demand for information respecting the affairs of the General and State Governments, public institutions, finances, resources, and trade of this country;…

Describes the success of the Populist movement in the 1890s, arguing that it provides a case study of the power and limitations of mythic appeals to transcend diverse political ideologies. Argues that Populist extensions of the agrarian myth to encompass industrial laborers, suffragists, and prohibitionists were motivated by political expediency.…

This paper argues that Dwight Eisenhower's use of television in the political campaign in 1956 helped mark the rise of the centralized presidential campaign strategy. To determine the impact of television on this campaign and describe the campaign's inner workings, the paper recounts (1) the Republican dilemma over the use of television and the…

The Politics and Mass Media section of the proceedings contains the following eight papers: "Politics and the War on Drugs: Patterns of News Coverage" (Lisa Brockmeier); "The Challenge of Bearing Witness in Political Reporting: Making the Public Conversational Partners" (Karon Reinboth Speckman); "The Concrete-Avoidance…

Scholars and political commentators have noted a new movement toward direct citizen participation in the candidate nomination process, and some individuals have seen this as a decline of the political parties. This paper examines two concepts: (1) the origins of the argument about participation and strong political parties and (2) the effects of…

Since the 1970s, the Mexican-descent population of Guadalupe, California, has spearheaded a drive for local political representation. This paper examines their struggles and challenges the misconception of Mexican campesino immigrants as politically apathetic in their new homeland. From 1960 to 1990, the percentage of Guadalupe's population that…

The necessity for candidates for public office to gather money in order to mount effective campaigns has raised concerns that campaign contributions may give some individuals and groups improper influence on the selection of public officials and the making of public policy. Part of this concern stems from the pluralist theory that maintains that…