Negative Political Advertising: Some Effects from the 13th Indian General Election 1999

Abstract

How does negative political advertising work and how effective is it ? This is a question that does not have mambiguous answers. Most research studies in the past have looked at negative political advertising just as a post-facto phenomenon. The results have been inconsistent. This study looks at the political advertising, some negative, others not too much, used by the two leading political parties in their run up to the 13th general elections in India. Confined to main line English press advertising during 8-9 weeks prior to the date of polling, the study is restricted to the respondents in the seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi. Using a survey of voters, the study uses the theoretical basis of Hierarchy of Effects model, Cognitive Response model and the Expeclancy theory to look at the effectiveness of such advertising. Proceeding from simple questions, this study is able to articulate the way such advertising works. It also attempts to classify people in terms of their dispositions towards negative advertising.