Avoidance or Engagement? Issue Convergence in U.S. Presidential Campaigns, 1960-2000

Bibliographic Data

ID7236124
AuthorsLee Sigelman, Emmett H Buell
Year2004
Volume48
Issue4
Pages650-650
Publication date2004-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Political Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0092-5853 • E-ISSN: 1540-5907
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.2307/1519925
OpenAlexW4239553822
LanguageEN
Citations received7

A widely noted and oft-decried characteristic of campaigns in the United States is the tendency of the competing sides to talk past each other—to avoid engaging with one another on the same issues. We bring a massive database on statements by the major-party presidential candidates and other campaign spokespersons in the 1960 through 2000 elections to bear on the question of issue convergence. Far from the exception, a high degree of similarity in the issue emphases of the two sides appears to have been the norm in these campaigns. This result suggests the need to rethink some influential empirical, formal, and normative perspectives on campaigns

Convergence (economics · Economic growth · Economics · Norm (philosophy · Normative · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Presidential campaign · Presidential system · Similarity (geometry · Computer Science · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Political Influence and Corporate Strategies · Social Media and Politics

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