Date of Defense
Spring 4-19-2005
Department
Sociology
First Advisor
Paula S. Brush, Sociology
Second Advisor
Rachel Whaley, Sociology
Abstract
On November 2, 2004, Americans went to the polls to determine the leader of the United States of America. In the weeks and months leading up to this date, Senator John Kerry and President George W. Bush took center stage. Often, however, it was not their policies that were closely scrutinized and help up to public examination. Instead, it was their personalities and private lives that demanded the most coverage. At the same time actors and actresses popped up with increasing frequency at political events, rallies, conventions, and fundraisers. The 2004 presidential election is only the most recent example of a growing trend: the increasing importance of personality and decreasing relevance of issues and public policy in election of government officials. It is a merging of the worlds of politics and entertainment. The author examines the changing nature of images of politicians and seeks to understand this development.
Recommended Citation
Keedy, Jenna Marie, "Celebrity Politics: Representations of Politicians in Newsweek 1980 and 2004" (2005). Honors Theses. 456.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/456
Access Setting
Honors Thesis-Campus Only