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Narratives of American Politics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 June 2008

Ronald F. King  and
Thomas S. Langston
Ronald F. King
Affiliation:
San Diego State University. E-mail: rking@mail.sdsu.edu
Thomas S. Langston
Affiliation:
Tulane University. E-mail: langston@tulane.edu
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Abstract

This article is an extended review essay that classifies the main literatures on American politics, somewhat unconventionally, in terms of four distinct narrative modes: comedy, romance, tragedy, and irony. The four modes are differentiated by their internal construction and external social message. The central assertion is that there are standardized trajectories inherent to many of the empirical analyses we advance, which can be used to understand ongoing debates in the field. Perceiving inherent harmony or discord, emphasizing the exalted or the mundane, projecting achievement or frustration, the various narratives of American politics present contrasting interpretations regarding regime tensions and prospects. The more that political scientists become conscious of the forms and limits of the models employed, the more sophisticated we can be at developing and debating them.

Type
Research Article
Information
Perspectives on Politics , Volume 6 , Issue 2 , June 2008 , pp. 235 - 252
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 2008

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