TY - JOUR
T1 - The importance of issues in senate campaigns
T2 - Citizens' reception of issue messages
AU - Kahn, Kim Fridkin
AU - Kenney, Patrick
PY - 2001/11
Y1 - 2001/11
N2 - In this paper, we examine whether or not representatives are successful at communicating their policy priorities to their constituents. We focus our attention on the campaign period because campaigns serve as the primary mechanism for communication between elected representatives and the represented. We examine 57 campaigns for the U.S. Senate between 1988 and 1992 and determine to what extent voters became aware of the specific messages articulated during the course of the campaigns. We find convincing evidence that when candidates and the news media focus on a particular issue (i.e., the economy, health care, environment, education), citizens are more likely to recognize the issue as a campaign theme.
AB - In this paper, we examine whether or not representatives are successful at communicating their policy priorities to their constituents. We focus our attention on the campaign period because campaigns serve as the primary mechanism for communication between elected representatives and the represented. We examine 57 campaigns for the U.S. Senate between 1988 and 1992 and determine to what extent voters became aware of the specific messages articulated during the course of the campaigns. We find convincing evidence that when candidates and the news media focus on a particular issue (i.e., the economy, health care, environment, education), citizens are more likely to recognize the issue as a campaign theme.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0039739786&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0039739786&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2307/440270
DO - 10.2307/440270
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0039739786
SN - 0362-9805
VL - 26
SP - 573
EP - 597
JO - Legislative Studies Quarterly
JF - Legislative Studies Quarterly
IS - 4
ER -