Americans tend to see negative campaign ads as just that: negative. Pundits, journalists, voters, and scholars frequently complain that such ads undermine elections and even democratic government itself. But John G. Geer here takes the opposite stance, arguing that when political candidates attack each other, raising doubts about each other’s views and qualifications, voters—and the democratic process—benefit. In Defense of Negativity, Geer’s study of negative advertising in presidential campaigns from 1960 to 2004, asserts that the proliferating attack ads are far more likely than positive ads to focus on salient political issues, rather than politicians’ personal characteristics. Accordingly, the ads enrich the democratic process, providing voters with relevant and substantial information before they head to the polls. An important and timely contribution to American political discourse, In Defense of Negativity concludes that if we want campaigns to grapple with relevant issues and address real problems, negative ads just might be the solution.

In Defense of Negativity: Attack Ads in Presidential Campaigns (Studies in Communication, Media, and Public Opinion)

Politics & Social Sciences

Geer, John G.

Social Sciences

University of Chicago Press

Americans tend to see negative campaign ads as just that: negative. Pundits, journalists, voters, and scholars frequently complain that such ads undermine elections and even democratic government itself. But John G. Geer here takes the opposite stance, arguing that when political candidates attack each other, raising doubts about each other’s views and qualifications, voters—and the democratic process—benefit. In Defense of Negativity, Geer’s study of negative advertising in presidential campaigns from 1960 to 2004, asserts that the proliferating attack ads are far more likely than positive ads to focus on salient political issues, rather than politicians’ personal characteristics. Accordingly, the ads enrich the democratic process, providing voters with relevant and substantial information before they head to the polls. An important and timely contribution to American political discourse, In Defense of Negativity concludes that if we want campaigns to grapple with relevant issues and address real problems, negative ads just might be the solution.

To the ongoing assessment of our current procedures for nominating presidential candidates, John Geer brings historical perspective, a careful evaluation of the accumulating evidence,and much good sense. The result is a book that challenges widely held beliefs and that will instruct all those with an interest in presidential nominations, whether as reporters, candidates, students, or citizens. Stanley Kelley, Jr., Princeton University 
In a clearly written and wide-ranging study [Geer] presents a wealth of data and conclusions. Using often original criteria, Geer concludes that voters in primaries are not very unrepresentative of appropriate control groups and that they base their votes on the personal characteristics of the candidates. Moreover, he demonstrates the conditions under which participation rates and information levels will be high. In the last part of the book, Geer discusses the role of the media and how the rules tend to undermine the ability of voters to cast meaningful votes. The author concludes with a call for regional primaries, for a greater role for party leaders, and for some ballot reforms. . . . Geer has produced a useful reference work that can stimulate undergraduate discussions. Choice
Are voters in presidential primaries truly qualified to choose the nominees? Although in recent years many concerned citizens, scholars, and writers have posed this question and much attention has been focussed on the subject, until Nominating Presidents there has not been an in-depth treatment of the qualifications of voters in presidential primaries. This groundbreaking study presents and systematically examines a formidable array of data on voters in primaries, including evidence from the 1988 presidential nomination. Geer examines survey research, aggregate data and more. To aid in the interpretation of these data, Geer develops a set of standards for assessing the qualifications of voters in presidential primaries. His findings suggest that although voters are more qualified than previous studies have shown, there are still problems using voters to nominate candidates. He therefore proposes a new system of selection that should overcome these problems. The real significance of this study, however, is not the proposed system of presidential nominations, but the detailed assessment of voters in presidential primaries.
The text is enhanced by more than twenty tables that present graphic information on subjects ranging from the influence of presidential primaries from 1912 to 1988; the ideological composition of voters in presidential primaries; causes and percent of turnout in presidential primaries; and various aspects of news media coverage, among others. Three helpful appendices define turnout variables, describe survey questions, and review the coding of open ended comments. Nominating Presidents will be of particular interest to those in the fields of political science and American political history as well as to students and teachers of courses in electoral behavior, campaigns and elections, and American political parties.

Nominating Presidents: An Evaluation of Voters and Primaries (Contributions in Political Science)

Praeger

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Education & Teaching

Segal, Jeffrey A.

Herrera, Richard

Schiller, Wendy J.

Schools & Teaching

Cengage Learning'

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You save money when purchasing bundled products. This bundle contains Gateways to Democracy, An Introduction to American Government, Enhanced, 4th Edition and access to MindTap for 1 term via printed access card. With a single sign in for MindTap, you can connect with your instructor, organize coursework and have access to a range of study tools, including eBook and apps all in one place! MindTap helps you learn on your terms. Read or listen to textbooks and study with the aid of instructor notifications, flashcards and practice quizzes.

Bundle: Gateways to Democracy, An Introduction to American Government, Enhanced, 4th + MindTap, 1 term Printed Access Card

You save money when purchasing bundled products. This bundle contains the loose-leaf version of Gateways to Democracy, An Introduction to American Government, Enhanced, 4th Edition and access to MindTap for 1 term via printed access card. With a single sign in for MindTap, you can connect with your instructor, organize coursework and have access to a range of study tools, including eBook and apps all in one place! MindTap helps you learn on your terms. Read or listen to textbooks and study with the aid of instructor notifications, flashcards and practice quizzes.

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GATEWAYS TO DEMOCRACY, ESSENTIALS begins and ends with student engagement. This new textbook by authors John G. Geer, Wendy J. Schiller, Jeffrey A. Segal, and Dana K. Glencross peels back the layers of the American political system to expose its inner workings and examine how competing interests can both facilitate and block the people's will. The authors provide a realistic yet optimistic view of the ways American Government can both be influenced by students and responsive to their hopes and dreams. GATEWAYS TO DEMOCRACY covers the core concepts required in an introductory course while challenging students to figure out their own standards for the society in which they want to live in the twenty-first century.

Gateways to Democracy: An Introduction to American Government, Essentials

Glencross, Dana K.

Wadsworth Publishing

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Books by Geer, John G.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Geer, John G.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

In Defense of Negativity: Attack Ads in Presidential Campaigns (Studies in Communication, Media, and Public Opinion)

In Defense of Negativity: Attack Ads in Presidential Campaigns (Studies in Communication, Media, and Public Opinion)

Nominating Presidents: An Evaluation of Voters and Primaries (Contributions in Political Science)

Bundle: Gateways to Democracy, Loose-Leaf Version, 4th + California Politics and Government: A Practical Approach, Loose-Leaf Version, 14th + MindTap ... Geer/Herrera/Schiller/Segal's Gateways to D

Bundle: Gateways to Democracy: An Introduction to American Government, Loose-leaf Version, 5th + MindTap, 1 term Printed Access Card

Bundle: Gateways to Democracy, An Introduction to American Government, Enhanced, 4th + MindTap, 1 term Printed Access Card

Bundle: Gateways to Democracy, An Introduction to American Government, Enhanced, Loose-leaf Version, 4th + MindTap, 1 term Printed Access Card

Bundle: Gateways to Democracy, An Introduction to American Government, Enhanced, Loose-leaf Version, 4th + California Politics and Government: A ... Access Card for Geer/Herrera/Schiller/Se

Gateways to Democracy: An Introduction to American Government, Essentials

Political Science CourseMate with eBook Printed Access Card for Geer/Schiller/Segal's Gateways to Democracy Essentials