In the1996 presidential election, voters stayed away from the polls in record numbers. This volume of original essays by leading political scientists and media scholars examines the nature of political disengagement among the public and offers concrete solutions for how the government and media can stimulate public engagement in the political process. Among recommendations are more public deliberation, media responsibility, and campaign finance reform. Candidates with integrity, issues that matter, and information that is both reliable and meaningful will motivate the disaffected more surely than special-interest appeals to minorities, lower-income voters, students, and others. Further recommendations include using the Internet, structural change in registration and voting, and 'reverse socialization'.

"This is an ambitious collection of seventeen essays that . . . provide new insights that can enrich the public dialogue and inspire new research." - Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly

"Engaging the Public makes a valuable contribution to the scholarship on political communication, and constitutes a needed link between political science and the health of the American body politic. Not only should this volume provoke further initiatives to engage the public, but it should engage other scholars in research that expands upon the findings and recommendations herein." - Rhetoric & Public Affairs