When Hollywood Meets Washington: An Analysis of the Effects of Political Entertainment on Perceptions of Government

Abstract

The American public’s trust in government is currently low, and there is much consideration in how the media may have contributed to this. The serial entertainment television component of the media is typically overlooked in these discussions, yet with the prevalence of political television shows, it seems plausible that fictional programming may be capable of affecting viewers’ perceptions of government. This thesis critically examines the role of political television series in individuals’ opinions on politicians and their level of trust. I argue that these shows do not have a meaningful effect on Americans’ views toward their government. I demonstrate that political television depicts the government to varying degrees of favorability. Focusing on two shows on opposite ends of the ‘favorability’ spectrum, "House of Cards" and "Madam Secretary," I analyze a national survey and conduct an online experiment that both have null results regarding a relationship between a show’s portrayal of government and viewers’ perceptions of their own government. Based on these findings, I recommend that we pursue policies to build trust among Americans and not rely on political television to do this job for us.