Designer Politics by Margaret Scammell
This is the first book to offer a serious examination of the phenomenon of political marketing in Britain. It presents an analysis of the increasingly influential role of the image-makers and casts a critical eye over the debate concerning the impact of marketing on political conduct and governance. Its primary focus is party and government communications in the Thatcher era and beyond, up to and including the 1992 general election. It argues that Thatcher, despite her image as the resolute politician, pioneered marketing techniques and concepts which have since become standard practice. Designer Politics looks at the historical engines of growth of commercial salesmanship in politics. It explores how political culture and conduct have been affected by the phenomenon and to what extent politics and policy have been remoulded to fit the marketing process. The author challenges the prevailing pessimism that Britain is hurtling towards American presidential-style campaigns and that marketing necessarily demeans and undermines democracy. While there are inherent dangers, there also comes new potential for a more genuinely popular democracy.
'If Scammell's own learning process continues as it develops in this book, she might become one of the best political analysts' - Malcolm Rutherford, Financial Times '...the most comprehensive description and analysis so far of the growth of political marketing in this Country. This is a first class account and contains some fascinating material.' - Ivor Gaber, British Journalism Review
MARGARET SCAMMELL is Lecturer in the School of Politics and Communication Studies at the University of Liverpool. Formerly a freelance journalist, she has published extensively on political advertising, and press and television coverage of election campaigns. She contributed to The British General Election of 1992 by David Butler and Dennis Kavanagh.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780333586723 |
| ISBN 10 | 0333586727 |
| Title | Designer Politics |
| Author | Margaret Scammell |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Palgrave Macmillan |
| Year published | 1995-04-12 |
| Number of pages | 342 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |