How often do we hear that Americans are so ignorant about politics that their civic competence is impaired, and that the media are to blame because thay do a dismal job of informing the public? Integrating a broad range of research on how people learn, this text shows that televised presentations - at their best - actually excel at transmitting information and facilitating learning. The author critiques political offerings in terms of their compatibility with our learning capabilities and interests, and she considers the obstacles, both economic and political, that affect the content we receive on the air, on cable, or on the Internet.