The Priming Effects of Informational Spillover: Campaign Advertizing and Media Market Overlap in U.S. House Elections
27 Pages Posted: 13 Aug 2009 Last revised: 3 Sep 2009
Date Written: 2009
Abstract
Existing research has demonstrated the significant priming effects that exposure to mass media can have on voters. The issue content of campaign communications and advertisements has been shown to influence both the types of issues that voters use when evaluating candidates, and the weight assigned to these various issues in voting decisions. Because media markets and cable advertizing zones often contain all or part of several and sometimes many different electoral districts, voters are routinely exposed to communications from multiple political campaigns. This study investigates the potential for these spillover communications, such as political advertizing from neighboring districts, to affect vote choice in U.S. House elections, by priming voters to evaluate the candidates in a particular way. The results indicate that the context of the informational environment can have significant partisan implications in Congressional elections.
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