Negative Campaigning

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the use of negative campaigning mentioning how Abraham Lincoln, one of the most respected politicians in history, resorted to mudslinging, the most popular form of negative campaigning. The author defines negative campaigning, gives examples, gives various views of negative campaigning, looks at its different aspects, illustrates how it works, and looks at its negative effects.

From the Paper:

"The United States has a history of negative campaigning that is hard to shake. Abraham Lincoln, who is considered one of the most respected politicians in history, resorted to mudslinging, the most popular from of negative campaigning, during his career (Swint, 1998). Lincoln often mocked and mimicked his opponent's appearance, speech and mannerisms during campaigns.
But the politicians are simply giving their audience what consultants and some researchers say is most effective.
To date, there is inconclusive evidence that negative campaigning will lead to backlash from voters. In fact, many researchers say that negative campaigning makes voters feel more secure in their decisions about candidates. Additional research shows that the use of negative campaigning provides candidates with a larger audience and creates more of an impact on voters."

More papers on Negative Campaigning:

• Research Paper # 113535 : "Exposure to Negative Campaign Advertising"
• Research Paper # 3133 : "Negative Campaign Advertising"
• Research Proposal # 110550 : "Negative Campaigns and Voter Turnout"

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