Post-Roe Political Communication: Examining Activist Campaign Strategies in the 2022 Kansas Abortion Referendum

Abstract

In August 2022, the Kansas primary election ballot featured an abortion referendum called the “Value Them Both” amendment. This represented the first time U.S. voters were able to respond electorally to the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision. Two groups, the Value Them Both Coalition (VTBC) and Kansans for Constitutional Freedom (KCF), were heavily involved in campaigning across television and social media. We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of their messaging and identified three approaches used by both campaigns: Integrity Signals, Extremity Emphasis, and Conservative Identity. Findings provide insights into strategic communication frames being employed in the post-Roe political communication landscape.

Keywords:

• Abortion Activism
• Ballot Initiative Campaigning
• Political Advertising
• Political Social Media

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mackenzie Quick

Mackenzie Quick (PhD, University of Alabama) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at Flagler College. Her research explores the interconnectivity between politics, public relations, and social media.

Josh C. Bramlett

Josh C. Bramlett (PhD, University of Missouri) is an assistant professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Alabama. His research examines strategic political communication content and processes in contexts such as televised candidate debates, political advertising, and digital political communication.