The twentieth century history of the academic study of political communication can be divided into three parts: the period between the World Wars, the period 1940-1965, and the period from 1965 to the present. In the first period, social scientists were greatly concerned that the democratic process might be subverted by propaganda; they were interested more in pragmatic social action than in theorizing. In the second period, a more complicated theory was adopted--the limited-effects model of political communication. This model depicted political communication as synonymous with political persuasion, especially in elections. The third and most recent approach is based on this limited-effects model, but changes and emphasizes features of the communication process. It stresses the participation of the audience, such as their communication behavior, and especially emphasizes the rediscovered uses and gratification approach. (DF)