In Defense of Negativity: Attack Ads in Presidential CampaignsUniversity of Chicago Press, 29.07.2008 - 218 Seiten Americans tend to see negative campaign ads as just that: negative. Pundits, journalists, voters, and scholars frequently complain that such ads undermine elections and even democratic government itself. But John G. Geer here takes the opposite stance, arguing that when political candidates attack each other, raising doubts about each other’s views and qualifications, voters—and the democratic process—benefit. In Defense of Negativity, Geer’s study of negative advertising in presidential campaigns from 1960 to 2004, asserts that the proliferating attack ads are far more likely than positive ads to focus on salient political issues, rather than politicians’ personal characteristics. Accordingly, the ads enrich the democratic process, providing voters with relevant and substantial information before they head to the polls. An important and timely contribution to American political discourse, In Defense of Negativity concludes that if we want campaigns to grapple with relevant issues and address real problems, negative ads just might be the solution. |
Inhalt
An Introduction | 1 |
2 Assessing Negativity | 20 |
3 The Information Environment and Negativity | 42 |
4 Evaluating Character Attacks | 64 |
5 Evaluating the Content of Negative and Positive Issue Appeals | 85 |
6 Dragging the Truth into the Gutter? The News Media Negativity and the 1988 Campaign | 111 |
7 Negativity Democracy and the Political System | 136 |
Appendix | 163 |
Notes | 167 |
References | 185 |
195 | |
Andere Ausgaben - Alle anzeigen
In Defense of Negativity: Attack Ads in Presidential Campaigns John G. Geer Keine Leseprobe verfügbar - 2006 |
In Defense of Negativity: Attack Ads in Presidential Campaigns John G. Geer Keine Leseprobe verfügbar - 2006 |
Häufige Begriffe und Wortgruppen
Ansolabehere argue argument assess ative attack ads attack advertising attention Barry Goldwater benefits Bob Dole Bush Bush’s candidate’s challenger’s challengers chapter claim Clinton coded coefficients concerns confirm content analysis contrast ads correlation criticism debate defined definition Democrats disagreement discussion Dukakis Dukakis’s electoral evidence example figure find findings first five Geer Goldwater hypothesis important increase incumbent inflation influence information environment issue appeals Jamieson Kelley Kerry Marc Hetherington measure Michael Dukakis misleading nega negative ads negative advertising negative and positive negative appeals negative campaigning Nixon nominees offer office ofthe opposition paigns party Percentage personal attacks polarization politicians poll positive ads positive appeals President presidential campaigns presidential candidates presidential elections problem question rate of negativity Reagan reflect Republicans Roy Neel sample scholars share significant specific standard talk television themes tion trait appeals turnout variable views vote voters Willie Horton
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