Non-policy communicative behaviour of political parties during electoral campaigns, Switzerland and Germany, 2009-2015
Details
State: Public
Version: After imprimatur
License: Not specified
Serval ID
serval:BIB_F6F29ADEC1F1
Type
PhD thesis: a PhD thesis.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Non-policy communicative behaviour of political parties during electoral campaigns, Switzerland and Germany, 2009-2015
Director(s)
Tresch Anke Daniela
Codirector(s)
Marquis Lionel
Institution details
Université de Lausanne, Faculté des sciences sociales et politiques
Publication state
Accepted
Issued date
08/11/2024
Language
english
Abstract
Cette thèse plaide pour une prise en compte systématique de l’image du parti pour la compréhension des stratégies électorales. Les cas étudiés et comparés sont deux élections en Suisse (2011-2015) et Allemagne (2009-2013). Les données sont issues du projet FNS « Stratégies des partis et dynamiques de la compétition électorale dans les démocraties multipartites ». La thèse analyse comment les partis, pendant les campagnes, conjuguent communications sur des propositions de politiques publiques (réformes et/ou régulation de l’appareil d’Etat) et communications sur eux-mêmes et leurs adversaires. La thèse propose le concept d’« image de parti » pour encapsuler ces différent comportements communicationnels non-programmatiques, et applique la théorie de l’aversion au risque (Kahneman & Tversky 1979) pour comprendre ces comportements, comment les partis se présentent aux électeurs et les facteurs influençant ces décisions. La théorie prédit que les partis adaptent leurs stratégies d’image de manière comparable à d’autres organisations : leur sensibilité au risque serait différente s’ils se trouvent dans un schéma de « gain » ou de « perte ». Pour se faire, la thèse analyse des facteurs spécifiques au parti tels que du leur statut d’incumbent, leur taille, leur “momentum”, leur position idéologique, et les différents canaux de communication, spécifiquement les programmes et les communiqués. La thèse formule trois ensembles d’hypothèses en relation avec les dimensions de l’image, la présence d’attaques et la relation cumulative entre les deux : le « score de risque ». La thèse ne traite que les données et images textuelles et applique les méthodes à la fois quantitatives (analyse de contenu, régressions logistique et ordinale) et qualitatives (analyse d’entretiens avec les directeurs de campagnes). Les résultats de l’application de la théorie de l’aversion au risque sont contrastés, mais confirment certaines hypothèses. La thèse contribue aux champs de la compétition électorale et de la communication politique.
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This thesis argues for a systematic consideration of the party’s image in order to understand electoral strategies. The presented cases are two elections in Switzerland (2011-2015) and Germany (2009-2013). We derive the data from the SNSF project “Party strategies and dynamics of electoral competition in multi-party democracies”. The thesis analyses how, during campaigns, parties combine policy communication (reforms and/or regulations) and non-policy communication on themselves and their adversaries. The thesis proposes the concept of “party image” to encapsulate these different non-policy communication behaviours and applies the theory of risk aversion (Kahneman and Tversky 1979) to understand these behaviours, more specifically, how parties present themselves to voters and the factors influencing these decisions. The theory predicts that parties adapt their image strategies in a manner comparable to other organisations: their sensitivity to risk would be different if they find themselves in a “gain” or a “loss” frame. In order to achieve this goal, the thesis analyses factors specific to the party such as their incumbent status, their size, their “momentum”, their ideological position, and the different communication channels (party manifestos and press releases). The thesis formulates three sets of hypotheses in relation to the image dimensions, the presence of attacks and the cumulative relationship between the two: the “risk score”. The thesis relies on textual data and applies both quantitative (content analysis, logistic and ordinal regressions) and qualitative (analysis of interviews with party campaign managers) methods. The results of the application of risk aversion theory are mixed, but confirm certain hypotheses. The thesis contributes to the fields of electoral competition and political communication.
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This thesis argues for a systematic consideration of the party’s image in order to understand electoral strategies. The presented cases are two elections in Switzerland (2011-2015) and Germany (2009-2013). We derive the data from the SNSF project “Party strategies and dynamics of electoral competition in multi-party democracies”. The thesis analyses how, during campaigns, parties combine policy communication (reforms and/or regulations) and non-policy communication on themselves and their adversaries. The thesis proposes the concept of “party image” to encapsulate these different non-policy communication behaviours and applies the theory of risk aversion (Kahneman and Tversky 1979) to understand these behaviours, more specifically, how parties present themselves to voters and the factors influencing these decisions. The theory predicts that parties adapt their image strategies in a manner comparable to other organisations: their sensitivity to risk would be different if they find themselves in a “gain” or a “loss” frame. In order to achieve this goal, the thesis analyses factors specific to the party such as their incumbent status, their size, their “momentum”, their ideological position, and the different communication channels (party manifestos and press releases). The thesis formulates three sets of hypotheses in relation to the image dimensions, the presence of attacks and the cumulative relationship between the two: the “risk score”. The thesis relies on textual data and applies both quantitative (content analysis, logistic and ordinal regressions) and qualitative (analysis of interviews with party campaign managers) methods. The results of the application of risk aversion theory are mixed, but confirm certain hypotheses. The thesis contributes to the fields of electoral competition and political communication.
Keywords
electoral campaigns, party communication, party image
Create date
15/11/2024 14:49
Last modification date
19/12/2024 10:23