Description
Book SynopsisPolitical use of communication technology is rapidly changing the nature of politics; one need look no further than President Trump's use of Twitter to realize the impact that communication technology is having on political processes. Communication technology has long been recognized as part of the policy feedback process, but until now, has received relatively little focus, often relegated to a line or two in a policy process theory system diagram labeled feedback. This book takes a fresh look at the role that communication technology plays in the policy process by applying natural science control and electrical engineering concepts such as bandwidth, latency, phase crossover, and positive and negative feedback to develop the critical frequency theory of policy system stability. This theory suggests that every policymaking institution has some critical frequency of communications from the policy environment that once exceeded, causes the policymaking institution to go unstable, and
Trade ReviewThis book offers the most complete explanation of a policy feedback loop so far in public policy literature. Students and established scholars alike will learn important insights into concepts they have used or seen but perhaps not fully understood, such as negative and positive feedback loops, disturbances, and policy systems theory. The concepts are explained with an engineer’s precision and then applied to a new database on state legislative communications strategies, supplemented with extensive interviews with legislators and their staffs. As new communications technologies continue to alter the landscape of politics, this book provides important information about how legislators communicate with their constituents, lobbyists, each other, and why this matters. -- Frank R. Baumgartner, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Communication Technology as Feedback in the Policy Process Chapter 2: Mature Communication Technologies Chapter 3: Mass-Media Communication Technologies Chapter 4: Internet-Enabled Communication Technologies Chapter 5: Relative Use and Importance of all Communication Technologies Chapter 6: Legislator Roles, Policy Conflict and Constituent Communications Chapter 7: Political Polarization Chapter 8: Critical Frequency Theory of Policy System Stability
