Page 8 - Historical Dictionary of Political Communication in the United States

Introduction

This dictionary includes the people, organizations, events, and ideas that have
been significant in the slightly more than two centuries of political communi-
cation in the United States.
This requires that we define political communication, something that even
unabridged dictionaries do not do. They offer definitions of such things as po-
litical arithmetic, political economics, and political geography, but not political
communication.
Political communication is communication about politics and government,
about or within political campaigns, and about or by politicians. It covers such
varied things as political speeches, televised debates, newspaper editorials of
endorsement, media exposes of politicians, media coverage of governmental
activity, photo ops, and publicity generated by the staff of politicians. These
aspects of political communication and many others are covered in this dic-
tionary.
Our emphasis is on the significance of each person, organization, event, or
idea for political communication. We believe that everything that is included is
important for those who are interested in political communication. The material
presented here rises above the routine because the more than two dozen scholars
who have written entries have consulted significant sources of information about
the various topics. The result is new insights on some familiar people and events.
Political communication is as old as our republic. A piece of political com-
munication—the Declaration of Independence—started this country. Thomas
Jefferson began the Declaration by saying that we were separating ourselves
from Great Britain. He also provided a long list of grievances of the colonies
against the British.
Before that, though, comes a statement of political philosophy that remains
our credo today. Most recall these ringing words from the second paragraph: