American People vs. Politicians

Abstract

To study political identity construction, a thematic analysis is used to explore online reviews of the book Beating Obamacare. Themes that emerged construct four political identities relevant to the construction Obamacare, the American public, President Obama and politicians, and those in opposition to Obamacare. The construction of these identities contributes to group vitality. This process is facilitated by the juxtaposition of the construction of the American public with those who oppose Obamacare versus politicians. Notably, this construction is accomplished with the near absence of reference to political party affiliation creating a realignment of political identity in a way that provides stronger group vitality than would be achieved across traditional partisan lines. This chapter has implications for understanding how identity is constructed online to demonstrate group vitality in ways that facilitate intracultural and intercultural communication.