"Making Sense of Political Ideology explores the erosion of ties among ideology, language, and political action and shows how to understand political ideology through speakers' language choices. The authors define four political positions - radical, liberal, conservative, and reactionary - and apply their techniques to contemporary issues such as the war on terrorism. They emphasize the dangers of staying trapped in political gridlock and propose that the ability to identify and bridge positions can help political communicators move toward constructing coalitions and building support for political action."--Jacket.