Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Alcock, Frank

Keywords

West Wing, 24, War on Terror, Political Communication, Television

Area of Concentration

Political Science

Abstract

Although scholars have extensively studied the political effects of television as a news medium, entertainment programming remains enigmatic in terms of how it draws from and influences the political climate. This thesis assumes The West Wing and 24 as central political and cultural texts in “War on Terror” discourse. Through textual analyses based in political communication literature, I collectively evaluate the two series’ framing of relevant content in order to assert their discursive role in American politics. The first chapter explores the interactions between television, fiction, and politics. Subsequently, 24 and The West Wing are examined within three areas of focus: their moralistic depictions of the presidency; terror-related constructions of an “us and them” binary; and exceptionalist framings of the need for security. I conclude that through narrative and visual strategies, these programs convincingly communicated the rhetoric and policies of the “War on Terror” – and that television drama has the ability to impactfully manufacture entire political crisis narratives, as other forms of media do not.

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