House Of Cards Vs West Wing

Television news outlets may contribute a lot to the understanding of politics, however increasingly more people are finding pleasure in political, fiction dramas. Because of their large audiences, political dramas have a role in shaping the perception of their viewers on politics in general, but more specifically institutions such as the Presidency. They also add to the understanding of the behind the scenes political processes. Two of these shows, The West Wing and House of Cards, each present very different perceptions of the Presidency and therefor influence different ideas of the presidency to their audiences. The West Wing portrays an environment where the presidency is assumed to be the most important branch of the government and the
Possibly the two most well known political dramas to grace the little screen are the early 2000s hit The West Wing and the more recent American adaption of House of Cards. During the peak of its runtime, NBC’s The West Wing garnered approximately 17 million viewers. The online streaming service Netflix produces House of Cards as a groundbreaking streaming television show, which had an audience of approximately three million viewers within its first 30 days of streaming. The West Wing focuses on the administration of a newly elected President, Josiah Bartlett, and what it takes for the office of the President to run a country. In the latter seasons of the series, focus shifts to the campaigns of those vying to be the next President. In contrast, House of Cards focuses on one couple, in the political scene, Frank and Claire Underwood, and how they ruthlessly manipulate the American political process to serve themselves. Over the period of the first two seasons, Frank manages to move from being the Majority Whip of the House of Representatives, the Vice President, and eventually the