Suchergebnisse

Political scientists often see differences among citizens in the level of their political knowledge as an explanatory variable of their political behavior. To determine whether political interest is a motivating factor in obtaining political knowledge via the media, questionnaire data obtained in 1975 from 1,977 respondents ages 16-74 in the Netherlands were analyzed. It was expected that a high level of political knowledge would lead to a better perception of political advantage & profit. Surprisingly, the results showed that political knowledge was obtained from other channels besides the media, & that the perception of political advantage & profit did not account for the level of knowledge. The way in which the concept of political knowledge is measured deserves closer scrutiny by political scientists. 4 Tables, 4 Figures, 25 References. Adapted from the source document.

There seems to be a growing consensus on the personalization of politics, meaning that not parties but individual politicians have increasingly become the central actors in politics. The media, especially TV, are given a prominent role in this tendency toward 'candidate-centered politics'. In this article we discuss the role of newspapers in this regard. Is there a more personalized & less party political way of reporting in the written press? On the basis of a longitudinal study (1958-1999) of two Flemish newspapers, we found only a modest & gradual tendency toward a personalization of politics. Political parties have not been removed to the backstage of political reporting & remain a dominant player in the written press. 6 Tables, 1 Figure. Adapted from the source document.

Described is research investigating level of political knowledge among 600 pupils aged 18 (last-year secondary school) in Belgium & the variables that may cause differential levels. Results show that the average level of political knowledge is low. The most significant independent variables are: sex (boys score better than girls), political participation of the parents, mass media, & (in a negative way) school. Mass media are most frequently mentioned as the most important sources of political information, & Rs with a high level of news media exposure score best. Political education at school is shown to have low impact; on the contrary, Rs who mentioned school as their most important source of political information tended to score worst. 29 Tables, 1 Figure. HA