Political Consultants and Negative Campaigning: The Secrets of the Pros

(Paperback)

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One of the most closely-watched and controversial aspects of modern political campaigning is the use of negative, attack tactics. This book examines the role played by negative campaigning through a national survey of professional political consultants. Campaign consultants have become vitally important to political candidates in recent years as strategists, fundraisers, and media specialists. The research in this book focuses on how consultants define negative campaigning, including the differences between issue attacks and character attacks, how and when criticism of the opponent should be implemented, and which media should be used to deliver attack messages. A statistical analysis of the survey data reveals insights into behavioral and professional differences among consultants with regard to party affiliation, gender, age, and level of experience.

Reviews

...an extensive survey of political consultants...in-depth interviews...and case studies makes for interesting reading...a welcome addition to the literature on political campaigning and consultants. -- James A. Woods, Southeastern Political Review
...an extensive survey of political consultants...in-depth interviews...and case studies makes for interesting reading...a welcome addition to the literature on political campaigning and consultants. -- James A. Woods, Southeastern Political Review

Author Bio

Kerwin C. Swint is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.