Going negative : how attack ads shrink and polarize the electorate

摘要: This study demonstrates how attack advertisements win elections. Political adverts cost millions and they now increasingly focus on the opponents weaknesses through nasty personal attacks. Drawing both laboratory experiments real world of America's presidential, congressional races, author shows that negative advertising drives down voter turnout, political consultants intentionally use for this purpose. Among authors conclusions are work better Republicans than Democrats, men women. Negative also positive ones, so attacking has become nearly universal. The argue as independent voters driven away by all negativity, voting public is reduced to partisan extremes.