Week One: The Revolution Wasn’t Televised, How We Got from There to Here

During this week, we will set the stage for the semester. We will explore the transition from the era of television-centric politics toward the rising importance of digital platforms. For the past half-century, television has been the dominant force in American political life, giving rise to sound bite politics and ever-increasingfundraising to pay for ads. Over the past decade, the way our society communicates has been undergoing a fundamental transformation, challenging traditional campaign tactics and altering the balance between mass communication and mass engagement.

•How has this transformation impacted political campaigns?

•How is it changing which candidates succeed? How is television’s decline changing Washington’s power structure?

•What are the benefits of moving away from broadcast-based politics to engagement-based politics?

•What are the risks?

 

Location: FDR, HKS