Personalization of Politics
Political personalization is a process in which politicians become the main anchor of interpretation and evaluation in the political arena. This entry contains definitions of the different types of personalization studied and reviews the literature citing evidence of their occurrence. It then elaborates on antecedents of the personalization trend and examines its variations across time and countries, and its manifestations in the international arena. Finally, it discusses positive and negative implications of personalization for democratic processes, voting behavior, and political interest and knowledge. Keywords: mass media; media personalization; personalization and democracy; personalized voting behavior; political communication; political media content; political personalization