Engaging the public : how government and the media can reinvigorate American democracy / edited by Thomas J. Johnson, Carol E. Hays, Scott P. Hays.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

List of Figures and Tables -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction: Disengagement and Reform -- Pt. I. Citizen Engagement: The People -- 1. No-Show '96: Americans Who Do Not Vote -- 2. Alienation and the "Soccer Mom:" A Media Creation or a New Trend in Voting Behavior? -- 3. Alienation, Engagement, and the College Student: A Focus Group Study -- 4. Second Chance Political Socialization: "Trickle-up" Effects of Children on Parents -- Pt. II. Citizen Engagement: The Media -- 5. Media and Participation: Breaking the Spiral of Disaffection -- 6. Voter Interest and Participation in the 1996 Presidential Election: Did the Debates Matter? -- 7. Consequences of Negative Political Advertising Exposure -- 8. Political Talk Radio Shows' Impact on Democratic Citizenship -- 9. A Vehicle for Engagement or a Haven for the Disaffected? Internet Use, Political Alienation, and Voter Participation -- Pt. III. Citizen Engagement: Reform -- 10. Election Law Reform and Turnout: What Works? -- 11. Voting Trends in the States: The Impact of Reform -- 12. Early Voting in Tennessee: Removing Barriers to Participation -- 13. Armchair Voting: The Vote-by-Mail Experiment in the State of Oregon -- 14. DebateWatch '96 and Citizen Engagement: Building Democracy through Citizen Communication -- 15. Going Beyond Adults and Voter Turnout: Evaluating a Socialization Program Involving Schools, Family and Media -- 16. Increasing the Quality and Quantity of Citizen Participation: New Technologies and New Techniques -- 17. Engaging the Public: An Agenda for Reform -- References -- Index -- About the Contributors.

Machine converted from AACR2 source record.