The political blame game in American democracy / Mark Hickson III and Larry Powell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hickson, Mark, author.

Powell, Larry, 1948- author.

Series:

Lexington studies in political communication.

Lexington studies in political communication

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political culture--United States.

Political culture.

Polarization (Social sciences)--Political aspects--United States.

Polarization (Social sciences).

Blame--Political aspects--United States.

Blame.

Responsibility--Political aspects--United States.

Responsibility.

United States--Politics and government--1945-1989.

United States.

United States--Politics and government--1989-.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (175 pages).

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Maryland : Lexington Books, [2017]

Summary:

The Political Blame Game in American Democracy looks at the forces that have developed over the past fifty-plus years and created a dysfunctional political system in the United States. It argues that the current level of partisan polarization is actually the culmination of a number of forces at work during the past few decades. These include a perception by each party that the other is using unfair political tactics; the subsequent creation of a culture of blame, with each party blaming the other for the dysfunction; a decline in political norms, leading to childlike behavior by politicians and political candidates; and a culture of payback in which the opposition argues that their opponents are responsible for the decline. These four factors culminated in the 2016 presidential campaign, where they were exemplified by Donald Trump, and have continued to have a significant ongoing impact on the political landscape of the United States.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-4985-4546-7