1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910828043703321

Autore

DeLuca Tom <1946->

Titolo

Liars! cheaters! evildoers! [[electronic resource] ] : demonization and the end of civil debate in American politics / / Tom De Luca and John Buell

Pubbl/distr/stampa

New York, : New York University Press, c2005

ISBN

1-4294-1398-0

0-8147-8646-4

Edizione

[1st ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (241 p.)

Altri autori (Persone)

BuellJohn

Disciplina

306.2/0973

Soggetti

Communication in politics - United States

Political culture - United States

Rhetoric - Political aspects - United States

Social ethics - United States

United States Politics and government Moral and ethical aspects

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. 199-220) and index.

Nota di contenuto

Demonization American-style -- The politics of moral personae -- America's moral paradox -- The deep divide and the most vulnerable -- Seeking the enemy -- Terror, evil, and the new cold war -- Terror wars and culture wars -- Preserve the environment! : become an environmental sport -- Conclusion: A new democratic covenant.

Sommario/riassunto

The level of vitriol in American politics has been rising with no end in sight. Terms like “evildoer,” “war on terror,” and “axis of evil” have become commonplace in our discussion of international politics. What ever happened to civil debate? Where has all this moralizing come from? And what harm has this new level of attack caused to democracy in America?In this compelling and cogent account, Tom De Luca and John Buell chart the rise of what they rightly label as the “demonization”of American politics, showing how political campaigns often neglect debates over policy in favor of fights over the private character and personal lives of politicians. Political interests are still served by this style of politics, but democracy, the authors contend, is the loser. Covering everything from the Clinton impeachment to the war on



terrorism to the 2004 presidential campaign, the authors show the distinctly American qualities of demonization and how their frequency and intensity has grown in the last four decades.Suggesting that demonization is not inevitable or irreversible, this important book offers ways out of the political mudpit and back to a more civilized debate where democracy and freedom of speech can coexist in a productive, idea-rich environment.