Tailored negativity. Campaign consultants, candidate personality, and attack politics

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Version: Final published version
License: Not specified
Serval ID
serval:BIB_CBE5DABFD036
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Tailored negativity. Campaign consultants, candidate personality, and attack politics
Journal
Swiss Political Science Review
Author(s)
Nai Alessandro, Tresch Anke, Maier Jürgen
ISSN
1424-7755
1662-6370
Publication state
Published
Issued date
17/05/2022
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
28
Number
2
Pages
338-360
Language
english
Abstract
To what extent are negative election campaigns “tailored” to the personality of the candidates? And with what electoral consequences? In this article we tackle these questions by focusing on the 2019 Swiss federal election. We estimate the presence of negativity as a function of the personality profile of competing candidates (Big Five) and the presence of professional consultants. Analyses based on data from a candidate survey (Selects 2019) suggest that campaign consultants are likely to take stock of the character of their candidate, and tailor the content of their campaigns accordingly - more aggressive for more energetic candidates (higher plasticity) and for less stable candidates (lower stability). These results, we argue, support our central claim that the role of consultants is to provide the most adequate campaign for the candidate they are promoting (“tailoring hypothesis”). We fail however to find any convincing evidence that such tailoring is electorally successful.
Keywords
elections, Switzerland, consultants, negative campaigning, personality traits
Open Access
Yes
Create date
17/05/2022 15:26
Last modification date
21/11/2022 9:20
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