Politics by other means
Subtitle: politicians, prosecutors, and the press from Watergate to Whitewater
By: Benjamin Ginsberg, Martin Shefter.
Contributors: Shefter, Martin, 1943-
Edition: Rev. and updated ed.
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Published: 1999
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 224
Subjects: Political participation -- United States.; Political parties -- United States.; Elections -- United States.; Governmental investigations -- United States.; Mass media -- Political aspects -- United States.; United States -- Politics and government -- 1945-1989.; United States -- Politics and government -- 1989-
Description: As scandals increasingly dominate the political agenda, Benjamin Ginsberg and Martin Shefter argue in this book, the United States is entering an era of postelectoral politics, with media revelations, congressional investigations, and judicial proceedings replacing elections as the primary tools of political competition. In a far-reaching shift of the political landscape, contenders now seek to discredit or take hostage their opponents rather than to expand the electorate or otherwise compete for votes.

In this newly revised edition, the authors discuss the long-term significance of the rise of the politics of scandal and the decline of electoral competition. They argue that as long as scandals and the media circus dominate the political agenda, the voter is increasingly alienated, the government's effectiveness weakened, and the democratic process threatened.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.