Political Advertising in the United States

With Erika Franklin Fowler and Travis N. Ridout

Political advertising is as important as ever—ad spending records are broken each election cycle, and the volume of ads aired continues to increase. Political Advertising in the United States is a comprehensive survey of the political advertising landscape and its influence on voters. The authors, co-directors of the Wesleyan Media Project, draw from the latest data to analyze how campaign finance laws have affected the sponsorship and content of political advertising, how “big data” has allowed for more sophisticated targeting, and how the Internet and social media has changed the distribution of ads. 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.

Reviews

“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 provides important insight about the manner in which campaign finance laws shape the strategic behavior of candidates, campaigns, and outside groups, as well as the impact, reach, and persuasiveness of the ads themselves.” —Johanna Dunaway, Louisiana State University

“Political Advertising in the United States emphasizes the consequential role political ads play in the electoral process. The ease with which the authors combine detailed ad narratives from recent elections with political advertising research will spur students to question, investigate, and reflect on the role of political ads as they participate in future elections.” —Alison Howard, Dominican University of California

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