ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the political campaign process and aims to increase the number of such "watchdogs" by enhancing the critical skills of the average citizen in making an informed voting decision. Political communication will be defined as the study of the communication processes that contribute to the exchange of ideas in the democratic political process. The chapter provides insight about both perspectives, and thereby makes that discussion more useful to both sides of the debate. It also aims to work through the decisions related to campaign strategies and other campaign elements, followed by post-election considerations. The chapter defines political communication in terms of campaign communications, an approach that encompasses those messages offered by politicians and candidates during nonelection periods that are also campaign-related. Political communication includes several distinctive elements: short-term goals, communication based on objectives, a reliance on the mass media, a short-term orientation, and an importance placed on audiences.
