Abstract
Presidents increasingly go public to influence public opinion on issues, but research is divided over the effectiveness of such efforts. This presents us with a puzzle: Why do presidents go public so much if the effects of going public are so unpredictable? Debate in the literature on the effects of going public stems in part from the large number of variables that mediate between presidential public communication and public opinion. This article hypothesizes that different types of presidential communication provide voters with different types of information about the president. This information, in turn, interacts with the voter’s political predispositions, so that different types of voters will react differently to each presidential communication. An experiment embedded in a nationally representative survey is used to test the hypothesis, and results provide support for it. The conclusion discusses limitations of the experiment and directions for future research.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
