Setting the Stage for Candidate Negativity

Publication Date

2025

Presentation Length

15 minutes

College

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

Department

Political Science, Department of

Student Level

Undergraduate

SPARK Category

Scholarship

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Nathan Griffith

SPARK Session

Political Science V

Presentation Type

Talk/Oral

Summary

Many scholars theorize that electoral systems can impact candidate negativity with increased negativity in plurality systems compared to preferential systems. Although multiple factors could influence candidate negativity, I theorize that electoral systems are the main factor. I test this by comparing candidate negativity in elections for the U.S. House of Representatives in Alaska before and after it switched to a preferential system, as well as comparing it to U.S. House races in the same years in Montana and North and South Dakota. The level of negativity is determined by coding candidate social media posts using the AFINN lexicon.

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