Digital Information Technologies and Democratic Discourse : American Public Culture and Political Character.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kelley, Colleen Elizabeth.

Series:

Bloomsbury Studies in Political Communication Series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Presidents--United States--Election--2024.

Presidents.

Politics in social media.

Digital media--Political aspects--United States.

Digital media.

Communication in politics--United States.

Communication in politics.

Rhetoric--Political aspects--United States.

Rhetoric.

Democracy--United States.

Democracy.

Political culture--United States.

Political culture.

Information society--United States.

Information society.

United States--Politics and government--2021-.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (377 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York : Bloomsbury Academic & Professional, 2026.

Summary:

Colleen Elizabeth Kelley and Michael J. Miller explore how democracy both functions and falters when media, politics, and rhetorical discourses collide.

Contents:

Cover

Half Title

Series Page

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1: Democracy, Rhetoric, and Media Logic

Democracy

Configurations of Democracy

Origins and Current State of Global Democracy

Democracy-Illiberalism-Fascism Spectrum

Fascist Democracy

Rhetoric

Symbolic Interaction

Politics and Democracy: A Rhetorical Imperative

Dialogical Engagement

Language in Thought and Action

Media

Mass-Mediated American Political Culture

Media Democracy

Mediatization

Mediated Ecosystem

Threats to Democracy

Messaging Erosion

Post-Truth Impact on Media Ecology

Post-Truth AI

Reliance of Digital Technologies

Technopolar Order

Methodology

Scope

Post-2024 America

Chapter 2: Rhetorical Democracy

Origins

2,400-Year-Old Legacy

Enduring Influence of Rhetoric: Middle Ages to Modernity

Rhetoric in the Middle Ages: Ecclesiastical Power and Persuasion

The Renaissance: Revival and Transformation of Classical Rhetoric

The Federalist Papers: Rhetoric in the American Republic

Rhetoric in Modernity: Expanding Beyond Persuasion

Exploitation and Choices

Rhetoric and Politics

Contemporary Challenges

Rhetorical Literacy

Institutional Vulnerability

The Rhetorical Situation

Liberal Democracy

Configurations of Liberal Democracy

American Democracy: Historical Evolution

Contemporary American Democracy: Challenges and Threats

Voter Fraud and January 6

Fraud Concerns as Outlier Events

Courts, Lawsuits, and Institutional Responses

Digital Mobilization

Rhetorical Safeguards for Liberal Democracy

Rhetoric and Digital Democracy

Democratic Backsliding

American Possibilities

Evolution of Media and Politics: From Rhetoric to Digital Platforms.

Early Mediated Politics: Rhetoric and Print

Digital Media: The Information Age and Beyond

Defining Media, Mediation, and Politics

Digital Media and the 2024 Campaign

TikTok as a Political Arena

Misinformation and AI-Generated Content

Algorithmic Bias and Echo Chambers

Data Analytics in the 2024 Election

Gamification of Political Participation

A Mediated Democracy

Early Mediated Politics: Rhetoric and Print

Rhetoric and American Democracy in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

The Future of Rhetoric in American Democracy

Chapter 3: Beyond Illiberal Democracy

The Continuum of Democratic Well-Being

Voter Suppression and the Integrity of Elections

Fragmentation, Rhetoric, and the 2024 Election Cycle

Political Elites

The Electorate

Social Fragmentation and Political Violence

Challenges to Electoral Integrity

Polarized Digital Discourses During the 2024 US Presidential Election

Political Polarization and the Erosion of Bipartisanship

The Role of Misinformation in Undermining Democratic Discourse

Declining Trust in American Political Institutions

Declining Public Trust in Democratic Institutions

Digital Disinformation Strategies in the 2024-5 US Presidential Election Cycle

Disinformation Strategies

Attributes of Political Health

Electoral Integrity

The Rule of Law

Checks and Balances

Climate of Misinformation

Decline of Bipartisanship

Illiberalism and Election Integrity

Voter Suppression and Electoral Manipulation

Erosion of Judicial Independence

Media, Disinformation, and Polarization

Geopolitical Impact: Illiberalism

Digital Fascism

End Stages of Illiberalism

Contemporary Variations

Illiberal Democracy

Hyperpolarization and Democratic Backsliding.

Erosion of the Rule of Law and Judicial Independence

Digital Media and Voter Trust

Salience of Literacy and Illiberalism

Polarization, Information, and Discursive Participation

Undermining of Norms

Existential Backlash

Global Erosion of Liberal-Democratic Norms

Chapter 4: Christian Nationalism, Project 2025, and the 2024 US Presidential Election: A Discourse Analysis

Religious Intolerance and American Politics

Christianity as Identity

Precedents

The Religious Right

Conceptualization

Mediated Acceleration

Public Adherence

Party Alignment: 2024-5

Political Discourse

Implications for Democracy

Binary Politics

Pluralism Under Pressure

Project 2025: Democracy, Mediated Messaging, and the Presidency

Historical Context and Origins

Purpose, Major Actors, and First-Person Evidence

Christian Nationalism, Churches, and Rhetorical Uptake

Party Alignment and Electoral Significance, 2024-5

Churches, Religious Organizations, and Congregational Influence

Democracy, Mediated Messaging, and the Presidency

The New Apostolic Reformation: Beliefs and Practices

Political Alignment

Challenges to Democracy and Religious Pluralism

Intersecting Forces: Populism and Religion

Political Implications

Mediated Mobilization

Chapter 5: Digital Media Technologies

Digital Rhetoric Across Platforms (2024-5)

Digital Rhetoric

Digital Political Rhetoric: Transformation, Impact, and Future

Advantages of Digital Political Rhetoric

Enhanced Political Engagement

Speed and Accessibility

Diversification of Voices

Innovative Persuasion Techniques

Disadvantages of Digital Political Rhetoric

Disinformation and Manipulation

Polarization and Echo Chambers

Erosion of Traditional Journalism.

Challenges to Electoral Integrity

Digital Messaging

Risks and Benefits

Algorithmic Determinism

Deep Mediatization

A Paradigm Case

Implications for the Future of Political Rhetoric

Constraints and Conditionalities

Mediatized Interruptions

Global Comparisons

Emerging Democracies

The EU

Constitutional Democracy, Politics, and Digital Symbiosis

Mediated Politics in American Democracy

The Evolution of Media and Politics

Origins: The Spoken Word

The Print Era: Pamphlets to Books

The Broadcast Era: Radio and Television

Revisiting McLuhan in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

AI as Media: Shaping the Sensorium

Algorithmic Mediation and the Displacement of Agency

AI and the Global Village Revisited

Generative AI as Message: Epistemological Implications

Toward a Post-McLuhan Media Theory

AI Political Discourse and the Presidency

AI in Political Campaigns: From Obama to Trump 2024

A Transformational Technology

Trump's Successful 2024 AI Strategy in the 2024 Election

Artificial Intelligence, Mediatized Politics, and the American Presidency in the 2024-5 Election Cycle

AI Reasoning

AI Management

AI Interfacing

Trump Case Study

The Trump-Musk Presidency: AI, Cyber-Tech, and Political Agenda-Setting

Democracy Responds

Individual Citizen Actors

Democracy in the Digital Age

A Different Bill of Rights

Article 19: The Information Ecosystem

Challenges to Digital Platforms

Symbolic Labeling in the 2024-5 US Presidential Election

Staying Power of Labels

Systematic Framework: Labeling

Digital Democracy as Symbolic Action

Rhetorical Politics

Mechanics of Discourse: Bots and Algorithms

Chapter 6: Mediatization of American Democracy.

Media System Norms and Priorities

Configurations of Mediatization

Editorial Oversight/Gatekeeping

Conflicting Priorities

Political Messaging and Legitimacy

Unverified Content

Impact on Legislation and Judicial Processes

Governing as Performance

Access to Political Messaging

Impact of Social Media on Political Engagement

Mediated Messaging, Market Logic, and the American Presidency (2024-5)

Data-Driven Campaigning

Mediatized Propaganda

Erosion of Public Discourse and Participation

Cognitive Noise

Opportunities and Challenges of Digital Public Spheres

Impact on Judicial Neutrality

Intentional Disinformation Strategies

Evolution of Media and Politics: From Rhetoric to Digital Platforms

Digitized Visual Rhetoric in the 2024-5 US Presidential Campaign

Chapter 7: The Mediated Presidency

Information Influencers and Consumers

American News Influencers in Presidential Elections

Origins and Evolution

Early American Contexts: Pamphlets, Newspapers, and Influence

Nineteenth-Century Partisan Press and the Presidency

Early Twentieth Century Mass Media and Presidential Politics

Mid-Twentieth Century: Television and the Spectacle of Personality

Late Twentieth Century: Fragmentation and Partisan Media

The Digital Era: Blogs, Social Media, and Micro-Influencers

Platform Logics and the 2020 Election.

The 2024-5 Election Cycle: Fragmented Authenticity.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

979-82-16-25374-7