Three good books for those interested in a detailed analysis: --- Three quite interesting and useful classics who analyze American negative campaign TV adds are:

Jamieson, Kathleen Hall, DIRTY POLITICS. Deception, Distraction and Democracy, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1992.

West, Darrell M., AIR WARS. Television Advertising in Election Campaigns 1952-1996, Second Edition, Congressional Quarterly, Inc., Washington, D.C., 1997.

Ansolabere, Sthepen & Shanto Iyengar, GOING NEGATIVE. How Political Advertisement Shrink & Polarize the Electorate, The Free Press, New York, 1995.

Ansolabere & Iyengar conclude that even as "Campaign commercials... instruct people about the candidate's abilities, personalities and ideas, and... strongly reinforce voters' partisan loyalties" the powerfull persuasive force of campaign attack adds has as a delicate byproduct: to discourage citizens involvement in politics in general and casting a vote in particular, by removing incentives turning people away from the polls. Attack adds erode the participatory ethos because of the disillusionment and distrust negative campaigning adds produce in those that are not strong supporters of a candidate. "Attack advertisement resonate with the popular beliefs that government fails, that elected officials are out of touch and quite corrupt, and that voting is a hollow act... reinforces (in non-loyal political followers/non partisan citizens) their contempt for candidates, parties and government...As a consequence, electoral politics are becoming less representative."

Source author: Eric Suzán Reed esuzan@sre.gob.mx