The effect of TV ads and candidate appearances on statewide presidential votes, 1988-96
By: SHAW, Daron R
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ArticlePublisher: New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, June 1999American Political Science Review 93, 2, p. 345-362Abstract: American presidential election campaigns have always received much notoriety both in the news media and political science. This notoriety masks considerable scholarly debate over the importance of contemporary campaigns, Studies of congressional elections have consistently shown that candidate quality and campaign spending affect the vote (Franklin 1991; Herrnson 1989, 1995; Jacobson 1983, 1989, 1990; Jacobson and Kernell 1981), but studies of presidential races offer mixed evidence with respect to campaign effects. More often than not, explanations of presidential elections are sought in the distribution of party identification or in variations of the macroeconomy (Fair 1996; Lewis-Beck and Rice 1992; Rosenstone 1983; Tufte 1978). Moreover, many of these studies make a strong case that campaigns do little more than activate latent candidate preferences. For some scholars, presidential campaigns are of symbolic but exaggerated importance.
American presidential election campaigns have always received much notoriety both in the news media and political science. This notoriety masks considerable scholarly debate over the importance of contemporary campaigns, Studies of congressional elections have consistently shown that candidate quality and campaign spending affect the vote (Franklin 1991; Herrnson 1989, 1995; Jacobson 1983, 1989, 1990; Jacobson and Kernell 1981), but studies of presidential races offer mixed evidence with respect to campaign effects. More often than not, explanations of presidential elections are sought in the distribution of party identification or in variations of the macroeconomy (Fair 1996; Lewis-Beck and Rice 1992; Rosenstone 1983; Tufte 1978). Moreover, many of these studies make a strong case that campaigns do little more than activate latent candidate preferences. For some scholars, presidential campaigns are of symbolic but exaggerated importance.
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