Prof. Rojecki- Political Communication

Professor Rojecki in this lecture gave a brief synopsis of political discourse; in particular the Tea Party and how/why they came to be.  Rojecki believes that Americans are in a state of insecurity when it comes to politics and the economy.  Since 9/11 and the spread of globalization (especially jobs like that to China), Americans are less confident in regards to holding jobs, trusting the government, and reaching compromise in politics.  This has led to an increase in partisan politics because Americans question the role of the government in our daily lives.  I thought a very interesting statistic from Professor Rojecki was that 2/3 of Americans believe that past decade has been one of decline in regards to economy and progress of the government.  This is because of the collapse of the housing market which Rojecki and the class spent much time talking about.  They defined the major issue as banks loaning money (giving mortgages) to unqualified people; or NINJa loans (with no interest, requiring no job) which Rojecki points out later in the lecture tend to be minority groups like African Americans and illegal immigrants.  Banks would get this money from overseas, mainly China, and basically were able to lend out this money with no repercussions until the collapse of the housing market.

The Tea Party was formed from this collapse after the government bailed banks out.  They were opposite of Occupy Wall Street who, unlike the Tea Party, believed that the problem was big business, not big government.  Another reason for this split and polarization, which applies to COMM101 and the role of verbal and media communication, is the role of mass media in politics.  People with political tendencies are now turning to specific channels and mediums they believe will reinforce their beliefs, not “accidentally” give alternate ideas.  This can be seen with the 50% ratings increase with FOX and the uprising of the right wing and the new Tea Party Movement.  The media is partially at fault then because this is where the public goes to get their information.

From the class discussion it was apparent that not many students are paying attention, actively participating, or even just plain caring about politics and governmental actions; but they do care about the job market.  I thought the most interesting part of the lecture was how Rojecki tied in globalization and the increase of insecurity which has led to partisan politics and extremists like the Tea Party.  This “disconnect between economy and politics” has led to the extreme movements and an unstable government (example: the rush of support for Obama in 2008 that was completely switched to support of Republicans in the 2010 midterm election).  People are anxious and insecure, as Rojecki says, and has led to an unsatisfied general public looking for fast fixes and who get easily impatient when the government does not show enough progress quickly enough.


Caitlin McDonald
COMM101
Catherine Steele
MWF 12pm