Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 350-356).

Amidst growing concerns about the decline in the quality of political discussions in the United States, this dissertation introduces the concept of the “political discussion environment,” which is defined as the condition of a society’s discursive arena for political discussions, encompassing the associated social norms and practices. The dissertation argues that individuals assess this environment, both consciously and unconsciously, forming their own perceptions thereof. In order to empirically measure individuals’ perceptions of the political discussion environment, this dissertation develops a survey instrument based on Habermas’ communicative action theory, namely the Perceived Political Discussion Environment Scale. A communicative political discussion environment should facilitate clear and truthful communication, promote shared norms, allow genuine expression, and provide equal opportunities for participation, thereby creating a discursive space where individuals can freely and respectfully engage in dialogue. Accordingly, the Perceived Political Discussion Environment Scale incorporates 23 items to represent these aspects. Utilizing the Perceived Political Discussion Environment Scale, this dissertation surveys 600 voting-age American residents, offering insights into their perceptions of the current political discussion environment in the United States, the individual-level factors associated with these perceptions, and the relationship between their perceptions and discursive participation in politics. The survey results reveal that older populations, individuals identifying as females or third genders, and those with lower socioeconomic status tend to harbor more negative perceptions of the political discussion environment, unveiling another dimension of inequality within American society. Frequently consuming news media and possessing a strong comfort level with conflict are associated with maintaining more positive perceptions of the political discussion environment. This dissertation also discovers that individuals, when perceiving the political discussion environment as communicative, tend to exhibit higher levels of discursive participation in politics. Perceptions of a communicative political discussion environment also amplify the positive correlation between news media use and discursive participation in politics. When individuals perceive the political discussion environment as more communicative, the positive correlation between news media use and discursive participation becomes stronger. These findings suggest that fostering a communicative political discussion environment may promote active citizenship and strengthen the news media’s role within a democratic system by drawing more individuals to contribute to political discourse. / Media & Communication