Political advocacy and American politics : why people fight so often about politics / Sean Richey & J. Benjamin Taylor.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- A theory of advocacy -- Why and how people advocate -- How campaigns stimulate advocacy -- Exploring the role of social distance and social media -- The psychology of political advocacy -- Conclusion.

"Political Advocacy in American Politics: Why People Fight So Often Politics explains the rise in conflict in American politics by showing that citizens engage in interpersonal advocacy more often now. Sean Richey and Benjamin Taylor eloquently show how the confluence of competitive elections and contentious politics in the last 20 years makes citizens more likely to push candidates in everyday discussions, which leads to more fighting about politics. Using original qualitative, survey and experimental studies, Richey and Taylor demonstrate the causes of political advocacy overtime in the political environment and at the individual level. While some worry about the incivility in American politics, Richey and Taylor argue political talk where conflict is common is caused by high-activity democratic processes and normatively beneficial individual attributes. They demonstrate how campaigns, social media, personality, and partisanship has additionally affected everyday political arguments, in addition to impacting one's propensity to advocate for individual candidates. Furthermore, Richey and Taylor argue that advocacy-when conceptualized as a democratic "release valve"-is exactly the kind of conflict we might expect in a vibrant democracy. Political Advocacy in American Politics: Why People Fight So Often Politics is ideal for university students and researchers, yet also accessible to any reader looking to learn more about the role campaigns and personal attributes play in the decision to advocate"--