Public Communication in Politics

Discussion of public communication in politics presupposes discourse in democratic or republican systems of government. Though publics play a role in all modern nations, they perform a necessary function in democratic forms of government. According to democratic theory, public approval legitimizes government actions. Jean Cohen explains the role of the public in what she terms “deliberative democracy,” that democratic associations value choice derived through public reasoning. As such, community decisions are deemed legitimate inasmuch as they are the product of open deliberation. Understanding just what the public is, however, is essential to any further explanation.

There are three ways to understand the concept of “the public.” Often, public is used to denote a space to which people are given free access. As such, “the public” constitutes ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles