Publisher's Synopsis
In this volume Vedung makes a distinction between studies of the content of political communication and studies of its origins and effects. He then concentrates on the study of the content of political pronouncements, ideas, and ideologies. Basic problems of question framing, concept formation and the interpretation of text are confronted. Vedung then describes how the rationality of political messages may be assessed by applying the rules of support, clarity, relevance, consistency, and truth. Vedung concludes by examining a variety of methods for assessing political values.