Campaign Advertising
Misinformation
Campaign Coverage
Polarization
Miscellaneous
100

Ads that provide a biographical message and present the candidate as a likeable human and someone who would be well suited for office

Image ads

100

Firmly holding the wrong information

Being misinformed

100

Coverage of campaigns that focuses on predictions about who will win and who is leading in the polls

horse-race coverage

100

The divergence of political attitudes to ideological extremes

Political polarization

100

These are not used to control messaging because they are viewed as being less credible than the media

Campaign Ads

200

Ads that are more substantive and focus on past experience dealing with specific issues or policy positions and plans

Issue ads

200

Issues that are the most difficult to correct because there are implications for an individual’s world view

Hot-button issues

(issues people have strong, emotional opinions about)

200

Candidates should avoid doing this on issues, which can bring negative media coverage

Flip-Flopping

200

Party ID becoming aligned with ideological positions on issues and partisan identities becoming tied to social identities 

Partisan Sorting

200

Explained by media distrust, a nationalized news environment, and social media

Polarization

300

Ads that discuss issues that are designed to pit groups against each other and tap into voter’s sense of identity with one political party

Wedge appeals

300

These types of information are different in content and psychology

Rumors and Conspiracies

300

In general presidential elections receive about as much coverage as these two other topics

Foreign affairs and crime

300

Increasing out-group dislike

Affective Polarization

300

This type of coverage has changed to candidates we get in elections

TV Coverage

400

Ads that can be personal or policy based. Often released to generate media attention or to respond to the opposing candidate.

Negative Ads
400

Most likely to be successful when it is provided soon after the misinformation

Corrections to misinformation

400

For example:

Avoiding behaving in ways that call into question suitability for office

Setting low expectations with journalists for chances of winning

Scheduling events to maximize newsworthiness

Feeding the press interesting and critical information about the opponent

strategies used by campaigns to manage the press

400

Polarizes both those who choose to watch it and those who would prefer to avoid it. 

Partisan news

400

Leads to less information about community issues, actions by local officials, and performance of local officials

Nationalized news environment

500

Reporting that they dislike them, but not disliking them in practice.

People's responses to negative ads

500

Hard to automate and requires fact checking to be available instantly

Problems with correcting misinformation online

500

This is done by focusing voters' attention on specific issues and individuals involved in the campaign, encouraging turnout, and influencing the decisions of those who pay attention to the media and are ambivalent about the candidates

Campaign coverage influencing an election

500

The most polarized. Reinforces differences between the parties to voters

Elites/Elite Polarization

500

For example:

Targeting voters in competitive states or regions

Taking advantage of issue ownership

Connecting advertising to issues in the headlines

Campaign advertising strategies