POL S 363 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Dirty Politics, Plausible Deniability, Heterosexuality

• School: Iowa State University
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POL S 363
• Professor: Deam Dirk

Document Summary

Because campaigns thrive on contrasts and more easily reinforce than change attitudes, they naturally traffic in stereotypes. Political campaigns rely on identity and contrast, they widen the divide. I(cid:373)pli(cid:272)itly defi(cid:374)es a(cid:374)d out group that (cid:862)we(cid:863) are fu(cid:374)da(cid:373)e(cid:374)tally u(cid:374)like. Bei(cid:374)g (cid:862)a(cid:373)eri(cid:272)a(cid:374) e(cid:374)ough(cid:863) to (cid:271)e preside(cid:374)t has been a constant but changing feature of our politics. From vincennes to vietnam, military valor has marshaled votes: just as candidates embellish the honor of serving, evidence of avoidance of the draft or military commitment is a point of attack. Guilt by association: during times of economic hardships the object of attack are those of other races, religions and social classes. (cid:862)i(cid:374) a so(cid:272)ial order threate(cid:374)ed (cid:271)y (cid:272)atastrophe, polarizatio(cid:374) (cid:271)etwee(cid:374) the for(cid:272)es of good and evil satisfied the desire for enemies on whom to pin the blame, whose defeat could restore the sta(cid:271)ility of the (cid:272)herished past(cid:863) The god-fearing versus the worshippers of the false god.