There is no aspect of contemporary American politics more criticized than the modern
political campaign: it provides too little information for the voter, the amount of money spent
is too high, there is no thoughtful discussion of issues, and campaign organizers will reach to
the very edge of acceptable practices to find some way of appealing to the voters.
These are some of the elements that are responsible for the growing disgust for
election campaigns and the decline in political interest. However the question is if campaigns
really do have consequences for the election outcome or if their effect is rather limited. This
paper will focus on the development of political campaigns, their strategy and planning, as
well as on issues and the presentation of the candidate. The composition will further have a
look on the campaign and election in 1992, on the actual effects the campaign has on the voter
and consequently on the election outcome. In the last two decades scholars perceived a change from old to new politics, including
a significant modification in the nature of campaigns. In the last years the traditional partyoriented
personal campaign has been largely replaced by the so-called candidate-centered,
media-oriented campaign. The basic elements of campaigns changed dramatically because of
increased nonvoting, the growth in the power of interest groups, and the power of the media.
In national elections the expansion of the mass media campaign has led to a decline in the
importance of party affiliation, while at the same time the party organizations themselves
became more powerful.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. The Development of Politics and Campaigning in the U.S
1.1 The Reasons of Change – What led to the Political Upheaval in the U.S.?
1.2 The Results of Change
2. Planning the Campaign: Recruitment, Organization, and Strategy
2.1 Recruitment of the Candidate
2.2 Getting the Campaign Started: Setting up an Organization
2.3 First Steps Towards Success: Developing a Strategy
3. How to Win the Election I: Presenting the Candidate
3.1 The Information Cycle in Campaigning
3.2 Perception and Marketing of the Candidate
3.3 Entertainment, Negative Campaigning, and Dirty Tricks
3.4 The Role of the Media
3.5 The Effects of the Debates
4. How to Win the Election II: Issues, Influences, and Rules
4.1 Position Issues and Valence Issues
4.2 Issues that are Important
4.3 Three Types of Issue Appeals
4.4 External Influences and Rules of Campaigning
5. Campaigning for the Presidential Election in 1992
5.1 Before the Nominating Convention
5.2 The Final Stage: The General Election Campaign
5.3 The Reasons for Bill Clinton’s Success
6. The Effects of Campaigns: Do the Make a Difference?
6.1 Arguments for Campaign Effects
6.2 Arguments against Campaign Effects
6.3 Conclusion
7. Bibliography
Objectives and Topics
The primary objective of this thesis is to analyze the evolution of modern political campaigns in the United States, focusing on their strategic planning, the presentation of candidates, and their actual impact on voter behavior and election outcomes.
- The transition from traditional party-oriented to candidate-centered, media-oriented campaigning.
- Strategic campaign management, including recruitment, organizational structure, and the fabrication of candidate images.
- The strategic use of media, negative campaigning, and entertainment techniques to engage voters.
- A case study of the 1992 U.S. Presidential election to evaluate the effectiveness of specific campaign strategies.
Excerpt from the Book
3.3. Entertainment, Negative Campaigning and Dirty Tricks
The purpose of campaigns is to keep the voter interested in the race between the rivals and to overcome the populations’ negative feelings about politics and candidates. The voters need to be convinced to vote for a particular nominee, even the ones that are sympathetic and interested. While in the old days of urban bosses, the voters could simply be rounded up and transported to the polls. In these days it is to some extend easier hence politically and socially more acceptable to entertain the voters and thus persuade them to vote. Campaigns need to be convincing today and they always have to assume that the populace needs an incentive to send money, carry signs, or just vote. So the staff creates entertainment for the people and the campaigns become mass events like football games. The traditional campaign starts after Labor Day and since it is only every four years it is designed to remind the voting public that it is time to attend to politics. However it shouldn’t be forgotten that the entertainment in campaigns has a dark side, too, the so-called negative campaigning.
Negative campaigning is term that is associated with attacks that are irrelevant or inappropriate to the qualifications for running for office. The public wants to see the candidates competing hard because it is supposed to be an indication of how tough the nominee will be in office. Negative campaigning is a serious and expensive business where anything is possible no matter how outrageous or scandalous. It will use virtually any and all methods and techniques in order to capture enough votes to win the election. Anything could be said, huge amounts of money are spend to make the opponent look bad and almost nothing is beneath the dignity of the campaign. The campaign officials do often not hesitate to move at the edge of legality, ethics, and decency to appeal to the voter’ best, most rational instincts and provide needed information to him. But in this case the end justifies the means.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides an overview of the criticism directed at modern political campaigns and establishes the central research questions regarding their influence on election outcomes.
1. The Development of Politics and Campaigning in the U.S: Examines the historical shift from party-centered to candidate-centered campaigns and the factors driving this political upheaval.
2. Planning the Campaign: Recruitment, Organization, and Strategy: Discusses the complex logistical and strategic processes required to organize a presidential campaign, including candidate recruitment.
3. How to Win the Election I: Presenting the Candidate: Analyzes the methods used to present candidates to the public, focusing on marketing, media roles, and the impact of debates.
4. How to Win the Election II: Issues, Influences, and Rules: Explores the role of position and valence issues, external influences, and the informal rules governing the modern campaign circus.
5. Campaigning for the Presidential Election in 1992: Provides a detailed case study of the 1992 election, highlighting the strategic shifts and reasons for Bill Clinton’s victory.
6. The Effects of Campaigns: Do the Make a Difference?: Investigates the debate over whether campaigns significantly influence election results or if their effect is ultimately marginal.
7. Bibliography: Lists the academic sources and political literature used to support the analysis of U.S. presidential campaigns.
Keywords
Political Campaigning, U.S. Presidential Election, Candidate-Centered, Media Strategy, Negative Campaigning, Voter Behavior, Political Marketing, Bill Clinton, Campaign Strategy, Election Outcome, Valence Issues, Political Communication, Campaign Organization, Political Participation, Campaign Effects.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
This paper examines the evolution and strategic mechanics of modern political campaigns in the U.S., evaluating whether these campaigns truly influence election outcomes or if their effects are largely symbolic.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
The work covers campaign management, the transition from party-oriented to media-oriented politics, the use of negative tactics, the manipulation of candidate image, and the role of issues versus personal attributes.
What is the primary research goal?
The primary goal is to determine the extent to which organized political campaigns impact the decision-making process of the American voter and the final election result.
Which scientific methods or approaches are applied?
The paper utilizes a qualitative analysis based on existing political science literature and provides a comparative case study of the 1992 presidential election to validate theoretical arguments.
What key elements are analyzed in the main body?
The main body breaks down the campaign lifecycle from recruitment and strategic planning to the technical use of media, image construction, issue appeals, and the practical application of negative campaigning.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include political campaigning, candidate-centered politics, political marketing, campaign strategy, voter behavior, and the 1992 U.S. presidential election.
How does the author explain the success of Bill Clinton in 1992?
The author attributes Clinton's success to his ability to run a "perfect" campaign that focused on valence strategies, effectively addressed the economy ("It's the economy, stupid"), and successfully used media channels to overcome negative character attacks.
What is the author's stance on the effectiveness of "negative campaigning"?
The author acknowledges that while negative campaigning is criticized as being beneath the dignity of the office, it is an accepted, functional, and highly effective tool within the American political system.
- Quote paper
- Ilka Kreimendahl (Author), 2000, Campaigning in America Today: The Role of Campaigns in U.S. Presidential Elections, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/16640
