The use of wedge issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and immigration has become standard political strategy in contemporary presidential campaigns. Why do candidates use such divisive appeals? Who in the electorate is persuaded by these controversial issues? And what are the consequences for American democracy? In this provocative and engaging analysis of presidential campaigns, Sunshine Hillygus and Todd Shields identify the types of citizens responsive to campaign information, the reasons they are responsive, and the tactics candidates use to sway these pivotal voters. The Persuadable Voter shows how emerging information technologies have changed the way candidates communicate, who they target, and what issues they talk about. As Hillygus and Shields explore the complex relationships between candidates, voters, and technology, they reveal potentially troubling results for political equality and democratic governance.
The Persuadable Voter examines recent and historical campaigns using a wealth of data from national surveys, experimental research, campaign advertising, archival work, and interviews with campaign practitioners. With its rigorous multimethod approach and broad theoretical perspective, the book offers a timely and thorough understanding of voter decision making, candidate strategy, and the dynamics of presidential campaigns.
D. Sunshine Hillygus is the Frederick S. Danziger Associate Professor of Government and director of the Program on Survey Research at Harvard University. Todd G. Shields is professor of political science at the University of Arkansas and director of the Diane D. Blair Center for Southern Politics and Society.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations ix
List of Tables xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Chapter One: Wedge Issues in Presidential Campaigns 1
Chapter Two: The Reciprocal Campaign 18
Chapter Three: Measuring the Persuadable Partisan 49
Chapter Four: Capturing Campaign Persuasion 82
Chapter Five: The Republican Southern Strategy: A Case Study of the Reciprocal Campaign 107
Chapter Six: Candidate Strategy in the 2004 Campaign 145
Chapter Seven: Conclusions: Consequences for Democratic Governance 183
Appendix 1: Question Wording and Coding 205
Appendix 2: Content Analysis Coding 214
Appendix 3: Statistical Results 216
Bibliography 223
Index 237
What People are Saying About This
Richard Johnston
Hillygus and Shields cut through the increasingly stale debate about electoral polarization to show the real complexity of opinion. At the same time, they contest the false distinction between mobilization and persuasion. They do so with an innovative mix of research strategies. — Richard Johnston, University of Pennsylvania
Adam Berinsky
The Persuadable Voter is clearly written, accessible, and highly engaging. The themes examined are interesting, and the analysis of mass political behavior is solid. The book will find a wide audience among political science graduate and undergraduate students, and will be of interest to journalists and politicians. — Adam Berinsky, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
From the Publisher
"Hillygus and Shields cut through the increasingly stale debate about electoral polarization to show the real complexity of opinion. At the same time, they contest the false distinction between mobilization and persuasion. They do so with an innovative mix of research strategies."—Richard Johnston, University of Pennsylvania"The Persuadable Voter is clearly written, accessible, and highly engaging. The themes examined are interesting, and the analysis of mass political behavior is solid. The book will find a wide audience among political science graduate and undergraduate students, and will be of interest to journalists and politicians."—Adam Berinsky, Massachusetts Institute of Technology"Hillygus and Shields find more persuadable voters out there than I believed existed and the book's conception of cross-pressuring issues is compelling. This is a top-notch piece of research that will add significantly to our understanding of presidential campaigns."—Daron Shaw, University of Texas, Austin
Daron Shaw
Hillygus and Shields find more persuadable voters out there than I believed existed and the book's conception of cross-pressuring issues is compelling. This is a top-notch piece of research that will add significantly to our understanding of presidential campaigns. — Daron Shaw, University of Texas, Austin
