As much of real-life politics feels like it’s drifting closer to stage-managed fiction, television series that use the political world as a backdrop for great storytelling are capturing viewers’ imaginations and strong ratings. Shows such as Homeland, Veep, Scandal, and most notably, House of Cards have garnered critical acclaim for their differing takes on power in Washington—at a time in which actual voter turnout and wider political engagement are low.
Through a close look at House of Cards, the Netflix series that centers on the scheming congressman Francis Underwood, Stef Woods analyzes the interplay among politics, ethics, and the media in a lively and thought-provoking evening. As fans look forward to the release of the fourth season of exploits of the Machiavelli-on-the-Potomac played by Kevin Spacey, Woods takes a look at issues like government corruption, political ambition, the politics of race and gender, and journalistic integrity.
As Woods focuses primarily on the show’s first season, get ready to join the discussion as she asks why we’re drawn to a complex, unlikeable protagonist like Frank Underwood, and what the ethical (and unethical) choices of the show’s characters reveal about ourselves and our country right now. Does House of Cards realistically portray politics and journalism? And how do they interact in both Underwood’s world and our own? Woods also explores how politically focused fictional series reflect and influence American popular culture—and, perhaps, our perspectives as voters.
Woods is an instructor in the American Studies program at American University’s department of history, where she recently taught a class titled Politics, TV Series, and Ethics. Her 2015 Smithsonian Associates program on politics, class, and marketing in The Hunger Games grew out of a course she led on the trilogy of young-adult novels.
