Search results

Untersuchungen ergeben, daß in US-amerikanischen Wahlkämpfen das Mittel der bezahlten Fernsehwerbung zunehmend an Bedeutung gewinnt, d.h. Wählerstimmen für den jeweiligen Kandidaten zu mobilisieren in der Lage ist. Dennoch muß kritisch hinterfragt werden, ob nach normativen Kriterien gemessen, "commercials" der Idee der repräsentativen Demokratie nicht abträglich sind. Wahlkämpfe sollten den Wähler dahingehend überzeugen, daß er den/die Kandidaten -in wählt, der seine persönlichen Interessen am besten und effektivsten zu vertreten scheint. Eine von 1972 bis 1990 druchgeführte Untersuchung hat jedoch ergeben, daß das Moment einer aussichtsreichen Position zum Gewinn von Wahlen ("Winnability") in den Vordergrund der Wahlentscheidung rückt. Zudem ist es ohnehin fraglich, ob die Vermittlung von 30-Sekunden-Werbespots ausreichend ist, um dem Wähler eine hilfreiche Wahlentscheidung an die Hand zu geben. (SWP-Krh)

In this article the 1988 national election campaigns of the Conservative Party, the Christian People's Party and the Social Democratic Party are analysed focusing upon: the impact of environmental factors – i.e. the constitutional setting, the party system and the media system; and the campaigns themselves – i.e. preparation and planning, control, strategy, financing and style. Findings indicate that the single most important factor for understanding national election campaigns in Denmark is that parties never know when a general election will be called. As a result, preparation and planning are virtually absent, TV is assessed as the most important channel of communication, the campaign is fairly centralized and controlled by the party leadership, the parties are dependent upon voluntary manpower and financial support, the use of 'outside' expertise is minimal, and the complex pattern of cooperation and conflict in Danish politics has a modifying impact on the amount of aggressiveness displayed in the campaign. All in all, similarities among the parties' campaigns are more pronounced than differences. It appears to make no difference whether the party is incumbent or in opposition, established or new, left‐wing or right‐wing, large or small.

"This chapter reviews research on strategic political communication in election campaigns, which still is a rather fragmented field despite its Jong tradition. To structure this area of study, the authors propose a descriptive model integrating different types of actors, modes, goals and arenas of political campaigning and campaign communication. They describe and explain long-term changes in campaign practices and communication patterns and critically reflect on the Americanization- and modernization-thesis as the two most prominent theoretical explanations for those changes. In addition, key trends in contemporary campaign communication as well as deficits of current campaign studies are discussed. To remedy those deficiencies the authors call for more longitudinal and comparative research as well as a comprehensive theoretical framework to guide future research." (publisher's description)