Cycles of Spin: Strategic Communication in the U.S Congress (Communication, Society and Politics)

Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 5
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Contents......Page 9
Acknowledgments......Page 11
1 The Cycle......Page 15
1.1. THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF AGENDA SETTING IN CONGRESS......Page 19
1.2. CYCLES OF SPIN......Page 24
1.3. EVIDENCE......Page 29
2 Building Blocks......Page 32
2.1. MEMBERS OF CONGRESS......Page 33
2.2.1. Partial Birth Abortion......Page 35
2.2.2. The Supplemental......Page 36
2.2.3. The Budget Debates of 1997 and 2003......Page 38
2.3. UNANSWERED QUESTIONS......Page 41
3 Creation......Page 43
3.1. THE CHOICE OF ISSUES......Page 45
3.1.1. Remaining Challenges of Persuasion and Promotion......Page 49
3.1.2. Strategies of Leaders and Followers......Page 53
3.1.3. Summary of Expectations......Page 55
3.2. THE CREATION OF MESSAGES......Page 56
3.3. CHOOSING AMONG BROAD ISSUES......Page 62
3.3.1. Party Leaders’ Statements......Page 64
3.3.2. Leaders’ Linkage of Issues......Page 68
3.4.1. Partial Birth Abortion......Page 70
3.4.2. The Supplemental......Page 73
3.4.3. The Budget Debates of 1997 and 2003......Page 75
3.5.1. Individual Benefits of News Coverage......Page 77
3.5.2. Costs of Promotion......Page 80
3.5.3. Probability of Coverage......Page 83
3.6. PARTISAN CONTROL OF GOVERNMENT......Page 85
3.7. CONCLUSION......Page 88
APPENDIX 3.A. PARTISAN ADVANTAGE ON BROAD ISSUES......Page 90
3.B.2. Public Statements About Broad Issues......Page 93
3.B.3. Public Statements and News Stories About Specific Debates......Page 95
3.B.4. The Tone of Public Statements About Specific Debates......Page 97
Partial Birth Abortion Debate, Democratic Arguments......Page 98
Supplemental Debate, Democratic Arguments......Page 99
Supplemental Debate, Republican Arguments......Page 100
1997 Budget Debate, Democratic Arguments......Page 101
1997 Budget Debate, Republican Arguments......Page 102
2003 Budget Debate, Democratic Arguments......Page 104
2003 Budget Debate, Republican Arguments......Page 108
4 Promotion......Page 110
4.1. THE PROMOTION OF PARTY MESSAGES......Page 111
4.1.1. Broad Issues and Specific Debates......Page 113
4.1.2. Deference, Coordination, and the President......Page 122
4.1.3. Discussion......Page 124
4.2. WHO PROMOTES PARTY MESSAGES?......Page 125
4.2.1. Identifying Show Horses......Page 126
4.2.2. Partisan Messages and Party Loyalty......Page 128
4.2.3. Partial Birth Abortion......Page 130
4.2.4. The Supplemental......Page 137
4.2.5. The 1997 and 2003 Budget Resolutions......Page 144
4.3.CONCLUSION......Page 147
4.3.1. Strategic Communication and the Expansion of Advantage......Page 148
APPENDIX 4. REGRESSION MODELS......Page 149
5 Coverage and Feedback......Page 155
5.1. CHOOSING WHAT TO COVER......Page 157
5.1.1. Ignoring Politicians......Page 158
5.1.2. Mirroring Events......Page 159
5.1.3. Balancing Arguments......Page 162
5.1.4. Adding Partisan Bias......Page 163
5.1.5. Feedback......Page 167
5.1.6. Patterns of Coverage and Feedback......Page 168
5.2. COVERAGE AND FEEDBACK......Page 169
5.2.1. The Supplemental......Page 170
5.2.1.1. The Interaction of Promotion and Coverage......Page 177
5.2.2. The Partial Birth Abortion Ban......Page 182
5.2.3. The 1997 Budget Debate......Page 186
5.2.4. The 2003 Budget Debate......Page 192
5.3. PARTISAN BIAS ACROSS NEWS OUTLETS......Page 199
5.3.1. Markets and Coverage......Page 203
5.3.2. Sources of News......Page 208
5.4. LESSONS FROM THE FOUR DEBATES......Page 211
APPENDIX 5.A. ESTIMATION OF VAR MODELS......Page 214
6.1. FUNDAMENTALS OF CYCLES OF SPIN......Page 219
6.2.1. Multimethod Research......Page 222
6.2.2. The Reputations of Parties......Page 223
6.2.3. The Independence of the Press......Page 225
6.2.4. Institutional Rules......Page 227
6.3. THE VIRTUES OF SPIN......Page 228
6.3.1. Simplicity Over Substance......Page 231
6.3.2. Distortion and Dialogue......Page 234
6.3.3. The Nature of Public Opinion......Page 236
References......Page 239
Index......Page 265