Incumbency and its perceived advantage: A comparison of 1982 and 1990 congressional advertising strategies

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between choice of message strategy— especially the decision to “go negative” in advertisements—as a function of incumbency and the perception of incumbency advantages that are held by both challengers and incumbents. Research questions developed from congressional campaigns studied in 1982 are examined using data from the 1990 election cycle. Findings from the 1982 and 1990 studies indicate that there are strong similarities between the two election cycles. Specifically, emphasis in campaign advertising messages on issues or the candidate's personal qualities is independent of incumbency status. However, the choice to “go negative” and emphasize an opponent's characteristics is strongly predicted by both incumbency status and the perception of how much the incumbent in the race benefits from his or her tenure in office.

Keywords:

• Advertising strategy
• attack ads
• congressional campaigns
• incumbency advantage
• negative advertising