The advent of new technology and the importation of 'professional communicators' has transformed the nature of British election campaigning. In this book, Dennis Kavanagh explores this so-called process of 'Americanization', characterized by the increasing importance of the media in elections and the rise of advertising agencies, pollsters, public relations advisers and speechwriters. He examines how the 'professional communicators' function within British politics, and assesses the reaction of the politicians themselves to the changing environment of election campaigns.

Dennis Kavanagh is Professor of Politics as the University of Nottingham. He is a regular commentator on British election politics and co-author of the Nuffield British election studies.