Dynamics of Diffusion

Aggregate Patterns in Congressional Campaign Agendas

Datos Bibliográficos

ID6180146
AutoresTracy Sulkin (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), J G Evans (0000-0003-4194-1416, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Jillian Evans
Año2006
Volumen34
Número4
Páginas505-534
Fecha de publicación2006-07-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaAmerican Politics Research (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1532-673X • E-ISSN: 1552-3373
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1532673x06286369
OpenAlexW2135483164
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas12
Referencias citadas18

We examine patterns in campaign agendas for a sample of 1,141 House and Senate candidates in the 1984 to 1996 elections, using a content analysis of coverage of their campaigns in CQ Weekly Report’s “Special Election Issue” to extract each candidate’s priority issues. The results indicate that, contrary to some of the predictions in the broader literature on congressional campaigns and elections, these agendas are very diffuse, with a high level of diversity in themes across candidates, races, and time. We uncover evidence of systematic differences in the issue priorities highlighted by Democrats and Republicans, by House and Senate candidates, and by incumbents, challengers, and candidates for open seats. We also find substantial independence in the agenda choices of opposing candidates, of same-state copartisans, of candidates who run in multiple elections, and of same-district or -state candidates across time. These findings have important implications for understanding the role of campaigns in agenda setting and in the broader representative process

Content analysis · Political economy · Political science · Public relations · Social science · Sociology · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Political Influence and Corporate Strategies · Public Administration · Social Media and Politics