Campaigns devote considerable resources to persuading potential voters to support their own candidate over the opposition. Yet, less is well known about the dynamics of candidate support at the aggregate and individual level. …
In this paper, we provide two contributions to the study of campaigns. First, we provide a direct comparison of change in candidate evaluations and support across House, Senate, and presidential races. As, these elections vary systematically in their level of competitiveness and salience, we expect citizens’ evaluations of candidates to vary across their type, as well. Second, with a unique panel that covers both the 2014 midterms and the 2016 general elections, we measure change in citizens’ evaluations of and support for candidates in these races. CONT.
Patrick D. Tucker (Yale) & Steven S. Smith (Washington U.), Political Behavior
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