Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/187493 
Year of Publication: 
2017
Series/Report no.: 
Working Paper No. 17-3
Publisher: 
University of California, Department of Economics, Davis, CA
Abstract: 
We study the informational effectiveness of electoral campaigns. Voters may not think about all political issues and have incomplete information with regard to political positions of candidates. Nevertheless, we show that if candidates are allowed to microtarget voters with messages then election outcomes are as if voters have full awareness of political issues and complete information about candidate's political positions. Political competition is paramount for overcoming the voter's limited awareness of political issues but unnecessary for overcoming just uncertainty about candidates' political positions. Our positive results break down if microtargeting is not allowed or voters lack political reasoning abilities. Yet, in such cases, negative campaigning comes to rescue.
Subjects: 
Electoral competition
campaign advertising
multidimensional policy space
microtargeting
dog-whistle politics
negative campaigning
persuasion games
unawareness
JEL: 
C72
D72
D82
P16
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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