Legislator Use of Communication Technology
eBook - PDF

Legislator Use of Communication Technology

The Critical Frequency Theory of Policy System Stability

  1. 279 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Legislator Use of Communication Technology

The Critical Frequency Theory of Policy System Stability

About this book

Political use of communication technology is rapidly changing the nature of politics; one need look no further than President Trump's use of Twitter to realize the impact that communication technology is having on political processes. Communication technology has long been recognized as part of the policy feedback process, but until now, has received relatively little focus, often relegated to a line or two in a policy process theory system diagram labeled "feedback." This book takes a fresh look at the role that communication technology plays in the policy process by applying natural science control and electrical engineering concepts such as bandwidth, latency, phase crossover, and positive and negative feedback to develop the critical frequency theory of policy system stability. This theory suggests that every policymaking institution has some critical frequency of communications from the policy environment that once exceeded, causes the policymaking institution to go unstable, and it is this instability that causes the policymaking process to speed up. With the theory developed, data collected on approximately 2,000 state legislators from every state in the U.S. is analyzed using linear and nonlinear regression models to understand the statistically significant relationships between communication technology frequency of use and importance, and the demographic, political, and institutional variables that contribute to policy process stability and instability. Additionally, interviews with legislators uncover many novel and interesting examples of the use of communication technology in the policy process. For example, legislators note that lobbyists sitting in legislative chambers listening to floor debates are actually texting questions and answers to legislators as they debate; legislators participating in this process are acting as policymaking puppets for the lobbyists sitting in the gallery. This single use of a communication technology has the capability of changing the very nature of what it means to be a legislator; with lobbyists acting as surrogate legislators.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription.
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn more here.
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
  • Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
  • Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Both plans are available with monthly, semester, or annual billing cycles.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1 million books across 1000+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn more here.
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more here.
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS or Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access Legislator Use of Communication Technology by Joe West in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Politics & International Relations & American Government. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Legislator Use of Communication Technology
  3. Legislator Use of Communication Technology: The Critical Frequency Theory of Policy System Stability
  4. Copyright page
  5. Contents
  6. List of Figures
  7. List of Tables
  8. Preface
  9. Acknowledgments
  10. Chapter 1
  11. Communication Technology as Feedback in the Policy Process
  12. Chapter 2
  13. Mature Communication Technologies
  14. Chapter 3
  15. Mass-Media Communication Technologies
  16. Chapter 4
  17. Internet-Enabled Communication Technologies
  18. Chapter 5
  19. Relative Use and Importance of all Communication Technologies
  20. Chapter 6
  21. Legislator Roles, Policy Conflict, and Constituent Communications
  22. Chapter 7
  23. Political Polarization
  24. Chapter 8
  25. Critical Frequency Theory of Policy System Stability
  26. Appendix
  27. Interviewee Descriptions
  28. References
  29. Index
  30. About the Author