The Internet is facilitating a generational transition among American political advocacy organizations. This book provides a detailed exploration of how ?netroots? advocacy groups - MoveOn.org, DailyKos.com, DemocracyforAmerica.com, and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee - differ from ?legacy? peer organizations. It also explains the partisan character of these technological innovations.

The Encyclopedia of Social Media and Politics explores how the rise of social media is altering politics both in the United States and in key moments, movements, and places around the world. Its scope encompasses the disruptive technologies and activities that are changing basic patterns in American politics and the amazing transformations that social media use is rendering in other political systems heretofore resistant to democratization and change. In a time when social media are revolutionizing and galvanizing politics in the United States and around the world, this encyclopedia is a must-have reference. It reflects the changing landscape of politics where old modes and methods of political communication from elites to the masses (top down) and from the masses to elites (bottom up) are being displaced rapidly by social media, and where activists are building new movements and protests using social media to alter mainstream political agendas. Key Features This three-volume A-to-Z encyclopedia set includes 600 short essays on high-interest topics that explore social media’s impact on politics, such as “Activists and Activism,” “Issues and Social Media,” “Politics and Social Media,” and “Popular Uprisings and Protest.” A stellar array of world renowned scholars have written entries in a clear and accessible style that invites readers to explore and reflect on the use of social media by political candidates in this country, as well as the use of social media in protests overseas Unique to this book is a detailed appendix with material unavailable anywhere else tracking and illustrating social media usage by U.S. Senators and Congressmen. This encyclopedia set is a must-have general, non-technical resource for students and researchers who seek to understand how the changes in social networking through social media are affecting politics, both in the United States and in selected countries or regions around the world.

Over the course of American political history, political elites and organizations have often updated their political communications strategies in order to achieve longstanding political communication goals in more efficient or effective ways. But why do successful innovations occur when they do, and what motivates political actors to make choices about how to innovate their communication tactics? Covering over 300 years of political communication innovations, Ben Epstein shows how this process of change happens and why. To do this, Epstein, following an interdisciplinary approach, proposes a new model called "the political communication cycle" that accounts for the technological, behavioral, and political factors that lead to revolutionary political communication changes over time. These changes (at least the successful ones) have been far from gradual, as long periods of relatively stable political communication activities have been disrupted by brief periods of dramatic and permanent transformation. These transformations are driven by political actors and organizations, and tend to follow predictable patterns. Epstein moves beyond the technological determinism that characterizes communication history scholarship and the medium-specific focus of much political communication work. The book identifies the political communication revolutions that have, in the United States, led to four, relatively stable political communication orders over history: the elite, mass, broadcast, and (the current) information orders. It identifies and tests three phases of each revolutionary cycle, ultimately sketching possible paths for the future. The Only Constant is Change offers readers and scholars a model and vocabulary to compare political communication changes across time and between different types of political organizations. This provides greater understanding of where we are currently in the recurring political communication cycle, and where we might be headed.

Party in the Street explores the interaction between political parties and social movements in the United States. Examining the collapse of the post-9/11 antiwar movement against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this book focuses on activism and protest in the United States. It argues that the electoral success of the Democratic Party and President Barack Obama, as well as antipathy toward President George W. Bush, played a greater role in this collapse than did changes in foreign policy. It shows that how people identify with social movements and political parties matters a great deal, and it considers the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street as comparison cases.

This comprehensive reference covers all aspects of politics and voting—from elections and campaigns, to major political figures and parties, to the role of media and major activist groups. As America's population changes, so do its political trends. This insightful resource captures the evolution of American politics and elections in the 21st century, explaining the identities and roles of lobbyists, activists, politicians, and voters. Featuring contributions from distinguished researchers and academics in the areas of political science, social science, and journalism, this encyclopedia explores the contemporary political landscape, offering an opportunity to compare and contrast related decisions, events, and statistical information from the recent past. Informative background essays explore all aspects of voting-related politics and policy, evolving electoral trends and the issues that account for those changes, and the impact of the ever-changing composition of America's population on polling and elections. This work incorporates the results of the 2012 elections, thus providing important insights into modern voting trends and their meaning for the future of the United States.

An encyclopedia unlike any other, this work focuses on lobbying, corruption, and political influence in America to inspire readers to think critically about the U.S. government and to appreciate the opportunities of citizenship. Even before the founding of the Republic, James Madison expressed the concern that special interest influence could become "adverse to the rights of other citizens [as well as] the permanent and aggregate interests of the community." In modern times, examples of lobbying scandals and corruption associated with political campaign contributions abound—and yet our political system can and does further the larger goals of American democracy. Suited for advanced high school students, undergraduates, and general readers, this set examines the three powerful forces that affect every level of government but typically operate out of public view. This three-volume work exhaustively covers the evolution and impact of lobbying, political influence, and corruption from the Colonial era to today. Volume 1 contains detailed scholarly essays on various aspects of lobbying, corruption, and political influence. Volume 2 comprises informative A–Z entries on people, events, laws, organizations, and legal decisions. The entries demonstrate the linkages among the topics but give equal attention to each as an independent influence on U.S. government and politics. Developments since 1990 and the extensive proliferation of the Internet and social media receive additional emphasis. Volume 3 contains primary documents that include executive orders, court cases, state and federal lobbying forms, and codes of conduct related to lobbying, campaign finance reform, and anti-corruption measures.

Among the ways that digital media has transformed political activism, the most remarkable is not that new media allows disorganized masses to speak, but that it enables organized activist groups to listen. Beneath the waves of e-petitions, "likes," and hashtags lies a sea of data - a newly quantified form of supporter sentiment - and advocacy organizations can now utilize new tools to measure this data to make decisions and shape campaigns. In this book, David Karpf discusses the power and potential of this new "analytic activism," exploring the organizational and media logics that determine how digital inputs shape the choices that political campaigners make. He provides the first careful analysis of how organizations like Change.org and Upworthy.com influence the types of political narratives that dominate our Facebook newsfeeds and Twitter timelines, and how MoveOn.org and its "netroots" peers use analytics to listen more effectively to their members and supporters. As well, he identifies the boundaries that define the scope of this new style of organized citizen engagement. But also raising a note of caution, Karpf identifies the dangers and limitations in putting too much faith in these new forms of organized listening.