Political advertising in the United States PDF
Preview Political advertising in the United States
Political Advertising in the United States Political Advertising in the United States examines the volume, distribution, con- tent, and effects of political advertising in congressional and presidential elec- tions. The book considers the role of television ads using extensive data on ad airings on local broadcast stations. It also analyzes newly available data on paid digital ads, including ads on Facebook, Instagram, Google, and YouTube. The book covers the role of outside groups in airing ads, including the rise of dark money groups and gaps in existing federal campaign finance laws around trans- parency of outside group spending. The authors consider how ad sponsors design and target ads. They also review the positive and negative implications of an elec- toral system where billions are spent on paid advertising. With detailed analysis of presidential and congressional campaign ads and discussion questions in each chapter, this accessibly written book is a must-read for students, scholars, and practitioners who want to understand the ins and outs of political advertising. New to the Second Edition • Covers the spending, content, and tone of political advertising in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections and the 2018 midterms, l ooking ahead to 2022 and 2024. • Addresses the interference of foreign actors in elections and their connec- tion to political advertising. • Expands the discussion of digital political advertising and incorporates this topic into every chapter. • Adds a new chapter specifically addressing digital ad content and spending. • Includes data from the Facebook, Google, and Snapchat ad libraries and explores the role of these companies in regulating the sale of political advertising. • Incorporates new data on the effects of race and gender in advertising, in- cluding what is known about the way in which advertising may activate prejudicial attitudes. Erika Franklin Fowler is Professor of Government at Wesleyan University and co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project. Michael Franz is Professor of Government and Legal Studies at Bowdoin C ollege and co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project. Travis N. Ridout is Thomas S. Foley Distinguished Professor of Government and Public Policy and Director of the School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs at Washington State University and is co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project. Praise for Political Advertising in the United States, Second Edition “There are many strengths to this book, but its defining strength lies in the unique ability to provide evidence-based, cutting edge insights about the rapidly evolving area of digital political advertising. Given that our need to understand the political implications of digital advertising is in- creasingly urgent, the data presented in this book make it an extremely valuable contribution and educational tool.” —Johanna Dunaway, Texas A&M University “I thought that the first edition of this book could not be bettered. But Fowler, Franz and Ridout have surpassed themselves in this second edi- tion. Drawing on their vast research experience and knowledge, as well as the Wesleyan Media Project data that keep getting better and better, Fowler et al. bring us fully up-to-date on all aspects of political adver- tising in the United States. While the focus is on the United States, the authors’ insights in chapters on issues such as digital advertising and the challenges of researching advertising effects also have implications for political communication in other countries in which campaigns are increasingly Americanized.” —Daniel Stevens, University of Exeter “Fowler, Franz, and Ridout did scholars, candidates, and campaign pro- fessionals an enormous favor by writing the first edition of this book. They not only described the landscape of political advertising in the United States, but synthesized the vast literature on advertising effects in an accessible manner. The new edition’s heightened focus on digital advertising, as well as the effects of race and gender in advertising, make it a must-read for anyone interested campaign strategy.” —Keena Lipsitz, Queens College, City University of New York Praise for the Previous Edition “The book is jam-packed with data that illustrate the key arguments advanced by the authors, and the quantitative analyses are presented in an accessible way. In addition, the authors provide a host of exam- ples throughout to help make their points and engage readers. Readers also get an inside look at how political advertising is developed in cam- paigns, including how ads are created, tested, and purchased. What is especially nice about the book is that it clearly defines and explains the key concepts related to political advertising. This book provides a great introduction to political advertising in US political campaigns. Highly recommended.” —Choice “The authors pull together varied research areas including persuasion, negative advertising, and campaign finance laws and rulings to provide a clear and comprehensive narrative of political advertising. The writing is engaging and the use of vignettes provides students with clear examples of why, when, and how political advertising matters. Anyone who wants to know how political advertising works must read this seminal book.” —James Druckman, Northwestern University Political Advertising in the United States SECOND EDITION Erika Franklin Fowler, Michael M. Franz, and Travis N. Ridout Second edition published 2022 by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 and by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2022 Erika Franklin Fowler, Michael M. Franz, and Travis N. Ridout The right of Erika Franklin Fowler, Michael M. Franz and Travis N. Ridout to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. First edition published by Westview Press, 2016 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Fowler, Erika Franklin, author. | Franz, Michael M., 1976– author. | Ridout, Travis N., 1974– author. Title: Political advertising in the United States / Erika Franklin Fowler, Michael M. Franz and Travis N. Ridout. Description: Second Edition. | New York : Routledge, 2022. | “First edition published by Westview Press, 2016”—T.p. verso. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Identifiers: LCCN 2021019156 (print) | LCCN 2021019157 (ebook) | ISBN 9780367761479 (Paperback) | ISBN 9780367761493 (Hardback) | ISBN 9781003165712 (eBook) Subjects: LCSH: Advertising, Political—United States. | Television in politics—United States. | Political campaigns— United States. Classification: LCC JF2112.A4 F68 2022 (print) | LCC JF2112.A4 (ebook) | DDC 324.7/30973—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021019156 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021019157 ISBN: 978-0-367-76149-3 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-367-76147-9 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-16571-2 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003165712 Typeset in Sabon by codeMantra Contents List of Illustrations xi Preface xiii 1 Introduction 1 Why Study Political Advertising? 3 Four Key Arguments 3 History of Campaign Advertising 5 Tracking Advertising 8 Plan of the Book 9 Discussion Questions 10 Notes 10 2 The Regulation of Advertising 11 The Rules of Campaign Financing 12 The Impact of the Rules 21 Conclusion 33 Discussion Questions 34 Notes 35 3 The Volume and Content of Political Advertising on Television 37 Volume of Television Advertising 37 Tone of Television Advertising 44 Issues in Television Advertising 54 Conclusion 59 Discussion Questions 60 Notes 60 4 The Challenge of Online Advertising 63 What is Digital Advertising? 65 Digital Ad Spending in 2020 66 What Digital Advertising Looks Like 68 viii Contents Understanding the Online Ad Landscape 71 The Bad and Good of Online Advertising 72 Conclusion 74 Discussion Questions 74 Notes 75 5 How Ads Are Created and Tested 77 The Elements of a Political Ad 78 Making the Ad 84 Conclusion 90 Discussion Questions 91 Notes 91 6 Buying and Targeting Political Advertising 93 Buying Decisions 94 Outlets for Political Advertising 96 Targeting Political Advertising 100 The Changing Media Landscape and Its Effect on Voters 104 Examining Ad Targeting Through Ad Airings and Media Consumption Data 106 Conclusion 110 Discussion Questions 112 Notes 112 7 Studying the Persuasive Effects of Advertising 115 The History of Media Influence Research and Current Challenges 116 What We Know About Advertising’s Ability to Persuade 119 How Do We Know What We Know? The Importance of Research Design 128 Conclusion 133 Discussion Questions 134 Notes 135 8 Beyond Persuasion: Mobilization and Other Effects of Advertising 140 Does Advertising Influence Our Political Participation? 141 What Do We Learn from Advertising? 143 Contents ix Do We Accurately Perceive Advertising and Campaign Tone? 150 Does Advertising Affect Our Trust in the Political System? 153 Does Advertising Affect Our Health as a Society or Reflect a Just and Equal Society? The Darker Side of Campaign Appeals 156 Conclusion 157 Discussion Questions 158 Notes 159 9 The Future of Political Advertising and Its Role in Our Society 163 Technological Change 163 Changes in Regulation 164 Broader Impacts of Political Advertising 168 Conclusion 169 Discussion Questions 170 Notes 170 Glossary 171 Index 177
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