Connecting citizens and local governments? Social media and interactivity in major U.S. cities

Changing the relationship between citizens and government is often cited as a goal for digital government, and new tools such as social media have the potential to improve interactions with citizens through dialogue. Citizens are most likely to participate at the local level (Berry, Portney and Thomson, 1993; Oates, 1972; Oakerson, 1999), and the largest cities have traditionally been at the forefront in the adoption of e-government innovations (Moon, 2002; Ho, 2002). We examine the use of social networks and other interactive tools in the 75 largest U.S. cities between 2009 and 2011. During this period, the adoption of Facebook skyrocketed from just 13% of the cities in 2009 to nearly 87% in 2011; similarly, the use of Twitter increased from 25% to 87%. We further explore three case study cities through analysis of discussion on social networks, and interviews, and find that one-way “push” strategies (Mergel, 2013a) predominate, although there are some signs of greater openness toward dialogue with citizens.     

U.S. Academic Library Spending,Staffing and Utilization during the Great Recession 2008–2010

The study analyzes the U.S. academic library spending, staffing and utilization trends during the “great recession” in the period 2008–2010. These trends are compared to similar trends during the period 1998–2008, one of the most robust economic periods in U.S. history. The data used in the study was from publicly available surveys from the National Center for Education Statistics. In general it was found that for both periods many similar trends persisted and were not significantly affected by macroeconomic conditions, and that U.S. academic libraries cannot be seen as a homogeneous group with similar investment and operating profiles. Between 2008 and 2010, growth among especially small to medium sized libraries has declined; while large libraries continue to expand their investments and grow, particularly in electronic services. The economic collapse that occurred in 2008 and the effects of which are still being distributed through the economy and society are having the same impact on all types and sizes of libraries, as many library trends are not influenced by the economic downturn of the period 2008–2010. The study describes the significant differences in the level and scope of spending, staffing, and utilization by size of library, and how the differences among small and large libraries became more accentuated in the period of the great recession.     

Who benefits from Twitter? Social media and political competition in the U.S. House of Representatives

Many researchers have assumed that social media will reduce inequalities between elite politicians and those outside the political mainstream and that it will thus benefit democracy, as it circumvents the traditional media that focus too much on a few elite politicians. I test this assumption by investigating the association between U.S. Representatives using Twitter and their fundraising. Evidence suggests that (1) politicians' adoptions of social media have yielded increased donations from outside their constituencies but little from within their own constituencies; (2) politicians with extreme ideologies tend to benefit more from their social media adoptions; and (3) the political use of social media may yield a more unequal distribution of financial resources among candidates. Finally, I discuss the implications of these findings for political equality, polarization, and democracy.     

The presuperhighway politics of U.S. government printing and publishing, 1917–1960

This article examines the practices of, and the policies governing, U.S. executive agency publishing and printing for the period covering 1919–1950s. Particular attention is paid to the activities of the congressional Joint Committee on Printing (JCP) of the 67th Congress, as well as advancements in the graphic arts. Attention is also paid to the inherent, and sometimes bitter, institutional tensions that resulted from the publishing activities of the executive branch. This article further examines the emergence of the Printing Industries of America (PIA) as a player in the sphere of U.S. government printing.     

Teaching Civil Procedure in the 21st Century: An Annotated Bibliography of U.S. Books and Articles, 2000–2019

Abstract

An annotated bibliography of articles and books on teaching civil procedure published in the United States from Winter 2000 through Spring 2019.     

U.S. Government information and the Nicaraguan revolution 1979–1989: An assessment of bias

The internal effects of the Nicaraguan revolutionary reconstruction, 1979–1989, are compared and contrasted with the portrayal of these effects in a sampling U.S. government documents. Special attention is given to U.S. Department of State documents aimed at influencing public opinion. That the revolution had some clearly positive effects on Nicaraguan society is concluded, but weaknesses and contradictions in the ideology and the programs of the revolution are exposed. It is suggested that much contemporaneous U.S. government information on the topic served a propagandizing function.     

A structural analysis of market competition in the U.S. TV syndication industry, 1981–1990

The author explores how the structure of the national television programming market has changed during the past decade and finds that the market has become highly concentrated and is increasingly being dominated by foreign owners. The author argues that the trends provide support for relaxation of prohibitions on television networks’ participation in syndication     

What's So Funny About a Poke in the Eye? The Prevalence of Violence in Comedy Films and Its Relation to Social and Economic Threat in the United States, 1951-2000

We examined the violent content of the top-grossing comedy films from 1951 to 2000. Comedic violence increased sharply around 1970 and has been relatively consistent since then. Aggressors were depicted in somewhat more positive terms than targets, but in general, the message of comedic violence was not one of good triumphing over evil. Top-grossing comedy films featured more violence when unemployment, suicide, homicide, divorce, and the consumer price index were higher.     

A brave new world?—Understanding U.S.-China coproductions: collaboration,conflicts, and obstacles

The unprecedented growth in U.S.-China film coproductions and Chinese companies’ high-profile investment in Hollywood studios and U.S. cinemas signal a shift in global power relationships and a reshaping of the global media structure. Combining textual and document analysis with interviews of policy makers and film professionals in China and Hollywood, this article explores the implications of U.S.-China coproduction for global communication. The article proposes three ways of understanding coproductions: as a market-driven and profit-seeking partnership, as a policy and power negotiation, and as a brave experimental adventure. This article contends that the current state of U.S.-China coproduction manifests the contradiction between desire and reality. Although coproductions have the potential to create a space for a new global culture, to develop innovative communication models, and to achieve a China-U.S. consensus, the fulfillment of these potentials will require a steadfast effort and the commitment of more than one generation of filmmakers from both China and the U.S.A. Nevertheless, a global culture and a reshaping of the global media structure are in the making.     

Textual (im)possibilities in the U.S. post‐network era: negotiating production and promotion processes on lifetime's any day now

This essay explores the struggles experienced in the creation, production, and promotion of a U.S. television series that deliberately sought to encourage cultural reflection about ethnic diversity and defied industrial norms as an original narrative program produced for a cable network. Any Day Now (1998–2002) was the first successful original series produced for the Lifetime Television network and was one of the first successful original cable series. Through an analysis of the production process, interviews with the creators and writers of the series, and examination of the series' promotion, this essay explores how the transition to a post‐network era of industrial organization and competitive practice affected the production and promotion of the series and its narratives. These findings are informative both in terms of the specific case and as they might be extrapolated as characteristic of the development of the post‐network era.     

U.S government information and the Nicaraguan revolution 1979–1989: An assessment of bias

The internal effects of the Nicaraguan revolutionary reconstruction, 1979–1989, are compared and contrasted with the portrayal of these effects in a sampling U.S. government documents. Special attention is given to U.S. Department of State documents aimed at influencing public opinion. That the revolution had some clearly positive effects on Nicaraguan society is concluded, but weaknesses and contradictions in the ideology and the programs of the revolution are exposed. It is suggested that much contemporaneous U.S. government information on the topic served a propagandizing function.     

Reading the Early Soviets: Alexander S. Gumberg and the Collection,Translation, Exchange,and Preservation of Russian Print Matter (1917–1930)

In this article, the author investigates Alexander S. Gumberg's (1887–1939) pioneering role in the development of US-Soviet print relations between 1917 and 1930. The article is based on analysis of records from Gumberg's personal archive and has two parts. The first considers Gumberg's collection of documents concerning the founding of the Soviet state in revolutionary Russia, their presentation in the American press, and their deposit in the New York Public Library. The second examines Gumberg's establishment of bilateral exchanges of print materials in the 1920s and offers insights into their theoretical and practical aspects from American and Soviet perspectives.     

Are we a product of our environment? Assessing culturally congruent Green advertising appeals,novelty, and environmental concern in India and the U.S.A.

In response to rising consumption effects on the environment, green advertisers have employed different tactics to advertise their unique products. Limited research has explored the impact of culturally congruent appeals in green advertising. A total of 118 (N) adults participated online to assess the influence of these appeals in a cross-cultural context. Findings indicate that collectivistic appeals worked best among Indian consumers while individualistic appeals were more effective for Americans. Ad novelty and environmental concern were important covariates. Implications for advertisers are discussed.