This chapter reviews the development in political communication research. After discussing classic theories such as selective exposure, agenda setting, and spiral of silence, and more recent theories such as framing and deliberative democracy, the chapter summarizes two germinating theories that the first author has written about previously in Chinese.  

One is spiral of imbalance, which attempts to meld selective exposure, gatekeeping, spiral of silence, among other theories.  Although the construction of the theory began in the middle of 1990s when television and newspapers dominated, the theory may have even more relevance in societies dominated by internet.

The second is an informational theory of electoral systems, which explains the electoral systems that dominate most of the countries today are not sufficiently democratic, because the systems prevent voters from expressing efficiently and sufficiently their will.  Furthermore, the theory explains, the under-democracy of the electoral systems are perpetual causes of many  ailments of modern societies, including so called mature, transitional, and emerging democracies.