Did higher levels of campaign spending buy George W. Bush the presidency in 2000 and 2004? And will all the money being spent on this year’s election move voters too? That’s the conclusion of an intriguing new political science paper that estimates that between 1972 and 2004, 13.6 percent of voters “incorrectly” pulled the lever for Republicans in presidential elections, while 8.7 percent “incorrectly” voted Democratic. Study author Sean Richey (a Georgia State University Professor) found that money was a factor. Republicans spend more of it, and that money often buys convincing and/or misleading ads.
Continue readingAre independent attack ads more effective than candidate attack ads? New research says yes
So far, the 2012 election has been chock full of negative advertising, and most of it has come from innocuous... View Article
Continue readingSunlight Grantee Publishes Studies on Campaign Ads and Spending Trends
The Wesleyan Media Project, a grantee of the Sunlight Foundation, recently announced two academic studies based on the comprehensive political... View Article
Continue readingAds Are No More Negative In This Election Than Previous Years
As we approach Election Day, the number of ads continue to increase, but based on recent data from the Wesleyan Media... View Article
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