Collaborative Research: Using Web Data to Study Campaigns and Representation

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Electoral campaigns are a defining feature of democratic polities-they influence voters' choices and set expectations for how elected representatives will serve their constituents. Yet, studying campaigns and their effects is difficult. This is particularly true when it comes to situations where numerous elections are taking place in a single country at one time. In this project, the PIs build on data that have been collected since 2002, analyzing large samples of candidate websites and conducting surveys of candidate campaigns. These data provide a holistic picture of a wide range of campaigns-both winners and losers-and offer scholars and citizens the ability to assess what campaigns do, why they do it, and how it might relate to subsequent governing. The intellectual merit to the project is that the data will allow scholars and citizens access to unprecedented data about how those looking to represent the populace behave and the type of discourse they employ. The broader impact is that the enhanced understanding of campaigns that these data will provide will enable practitioners to identify sources of political change and discuss reforms that could ultimately improve campaign quality. The project also will involve students who will learn how to conduct research and be able to use the data in their own work. In the United States, citizens choose their representatives in part based on campaigns. Yet, campaigns are difficult to study as they involve so many candidates, many of whom run relatively low-cost, small campaigns. One way to obtain a representative sample of campaign discourse is to rely on candidate websites since virtually all candidates have websites. Websites also are ideal insofar as campaigns view them as holistic portraits of messages aimed at voters. Since 2002, the PIs have coded campaign websites and conducted surveys of campaigns. The result is an unprecedented data set of campaign behavior over-time. In this project, the PIs will extend that data into the upcoming election, which is of particular interest given increased affective polarization and incivility, and the nationalization of elections. The intellectual merit to the project is that it will allow scholars and citizens access to data about how those looking to represent the populace behave and the type of discourse they employ. Further, it will enable scholars to track the evolution of the Internet and technology over time, and test theories of campaigns and their effects on voters and representatives.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.