The world of politics, campaigns, and elections is confusing. How do we make sense out of why candidates do what they do or why some are successful and others not? This book explains political campaigns and elections by way of ten simple rules that candidates need to follow if they wish to be successful. Mastering and understanding these rules makes clear what it takes to win in politics and why politicians do what they do and why politics is what it is today. The key to understanding contemporary politics begins with two simple concepts. The first is that it is the world of politainment where politics and entertainment had collapsed into one another, producing a new world of politainment (politics + entertainment). A second concept to understand about contemporary politics is that it is a business. The day of politics and political campaigns being run by dedicated volunteers is an artifact of a Norman Rockwell era. While once politics was about door knocking, phone calling, and face to face politicking. Now campaigns are run by professionals. Individuals specialize in managing campaigns and candidates, doing polling, fund-raising, and performing many of the tasks that once were done by dedicated volunteers. Yes many campaigns still have volunteers performing many duties-especially in local and small town races-but even then professionals and organizations are increasingly employed to shape a campaign. Politainment: The Ten Rules of Contemporary Politics makes sense out of the confusing world of politainment, describing the ten rules critical to winning politics.
Author Biography
David Schultz is Hamline University professor at the School of Business in St. Paul, Minnesota and is the author of more than 25 books and 90 articles on various aspects of American politics, media and politics, campaigns and elections, and election law. Combining more than 25 years of teaching with experiences working in government and on numerous political campaigns, David Schultz is a nationally and internationally recognized and respected political analyst whose comments have appeared in places including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Los Angeles Times, MSMBC ABC News, CBS News, Cox News Service, Time, Newsweek, Radio Free Europe, National Journal, Congressional Quarterly, National Public Radio, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, Chicago Tribune, Houston Post, Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Light, San Antonio Express News, Channel One, People Magazine, and Money.
