The Effects of Negative Political Advertising on Young College-Educated Voters

This study examines the effectiveness of negative and positive political advertisements among voters in college. The study builds on past research exploring negative political advertising and demobilization and mobilization theories. Additionally, potential backlash against sponsoring candidates of negative policy-based attack ads is looked at as is whether those who regularly follow politics are affected differently by ads than those who do not. Fifty-three college students participated in an experiment in which they rated two candidates based on any prior knowledge and political party, assessing favorability and the likelihood of voting for each candidate. Students then watched a ten minute newscast with either a positive or negative ad sponsored by the same candidate embedded during the commercial break. They were asked again to assess their favorability and likelihood of voting for each candidate. No results were found in support of either mobilization or demobilization theories. Results did not show backlash after viewing the negative ad. The positive ad, however, proved more effective in increasing both the sponsoring candidate’s favorability and participants’ reported likelihood of voting for him. Additionally, these findings do not support past research claiming differences in effects between those who regularly follow politics and those who do not

Mapping a Post-Shelby County Contingency Strategy

This Essay was written for the Yale Law Journal Online Symposium on the future of section 5 of the Voting Rights Act after Shelby County v. Holder. Professors Guy-Uriel E. Charles and Luis Fuentes-Rohwer argue that voting rights activists ought to be prepared for a future in which section 5 is not part of the landscape. If the Court strikes down section 5, an emerging ecosystem of private entities and organized interest groups of various stripes—what they call institutional intermediaries—may be willing and able to mimic the elements that made section 5 an effective regulatory device. As voting rights activists plot a post-Shelby County contingency strategy, they should both account for institutional intermediaries and think about the types of changes that could enhance the ability of these groups to better protect voting rights

A qualitative case exploration of the use of image political advertising in the Taiwanese presidential election of 2000

By 'image' advertising we refer to television and press advertising that applies brand marketing techniques to political campaigns. Such advertising tends to contain appealing imagery and symbolism rather than factual, policy-based appeals. In the Taiwanese presidential election of 2000 the main opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party, used image advertising on TV before their widely unexpected victory. This was a major departure for the DPP who until then were typically associated with poorly resourced, controversial but ineffective election advertising. This paper examines the Taiwanese political context and briefly reviews relevant research literature before discussing this particular case of political advertising. The paper adopts a mixed interpretive approach drawing on a quantitative analysis of poll data, a qualitative focus group and secondary sources to seek insights into the voter impact this image political advertisement may have had

Checking the fact-checkers in 2008: predicting political ad scrutiny and assessing consistency

Which types of political ads are most likely to draw criticism from fact-checkers? Are fact-checkers consistent in their evaluations of political ads? Examining general election television ads from the 2008 U.S. presidential race, and based upon the evaluations of FactCheck.org, PolitiFact.com, and the Washington Post's Fact Checker, this study demonstrates it was the attack ads from candidates that were most likely to draw scrutiny from the fact-checkers. Most importantly, a high level of agreement between the fact-checkers indicates their success at selecting political claims that can be consistently evaluated. While political advertisers are increasingly using evidence to support their claims, what may be more critical in drawing evaluations from fact-checkers is the verifiability of a claim. The implications of consistent fact-checking on the public, political actors, journalism and democracy are discussed. With the revelation that fact-checking can be consistently practiced, localized efforts at fact-checking need encouragement, particularly as political TV ads increasingly drown out other potential sources of information for the public and increasingly are used in downballot races, local initiatives, referendums and judicial races

Platform Advocacy and the Threat to Deliberative Democracy

Businesses have long tried to influence political outcomes, but today, there is a new and potent form of corporate political power—Platform Advocacy. Internet-based platforms, such as Facebook, Google, and Uber, mobilize their user bases through direct solicitation of support and the more troubling exploitation of irrational behavior. Platform Advocacy helps platforms push policy agendas that create favorable legal environments for themselves, thereby strengthening their own dominance in the marketplace. This new form of advocacy will have radical effects on deliberative democracy. In the age of constant digital noise and uncertainty, it is more important than ever to detect and analyze new forms of political power. This Article will contribute to our understanding of one such new form and provide a way forward to ensure the exceptional power of platforms do not improperly influence consumers and, by extension, lawmakers

The Cowl - v.77 - n.6 - Oct 18, 2012

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 77 - No. 6 - October 18, 2012. 28 pages

More than a passive interest

Abstract The defeat of the Dyer anti-lynching bill in 1922 was a turning point in relations between black Americans and the Republican Party. Little is understood, however, about the role played in the debates by President Warren Harding. This article contends that Harding's conflicted approach to presidential leadership caused him to mishandle the bill. The President's inability to choose between restrained 'whig' leadership and a more active 'stewardship' role resulted in an unstable executive style. The Dyer bill's failure was affected by this dilemma as black hopes were alternately raised and dashed by Harding's indecision. The bitterness of the bill's ultimate defeat was thus heightened, with severe consequences for the Republican party's long term electoral relationship with black voters

Assessing the Political Impacts of a Conditional Cash Transfer: Evidence From a Randomized Policy Experiment in Indonesia

Several developing nations, including Indonesia, have experimented with conditional cash transfers (ccts) to poor households during recent years. since 2007, Indonesia has been carrying out a randomized cct pilot program (pnpm generasi) in 1,625 villages where funds are disbursed to communities rather than households, and local councils allocate the funds to public projects following community input. in this paper, we explore political outcomes associated with the program, including electoral rewards for incumbents, and political participation. by comparing regions receiving the program with a control group, we estimate the cct\u27s effects on political behavior in the 2009 elections for president and the national legislative assembly, and we also explore its effects on local politics. we find that the cct program increases vote shares for legislative candidates from the incumbent president\u27s party, improves households\u27 satisfaction with kabupaten-level government administrative services, and decreases competition among presidential candidates as measured by the herfindahl-hirschman index (hhi). we do not find conclusive evidence to support the hypothesis that the program increases votes for the incumbent president, and we find no evidence that the program significantly increases voter turnout or affects village-level politics. keywords: conditional cash transfer, political behavior, Indonesi