Politics and Current Events, Press Releases

Review: Brader, Campaigning for Hearts and Minds

jacket imageChoice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries recently reviewed Ted Brader’s Campaigning for Hearts and Minds: How Emotional Appeals in Political Ads Work: "Brader guides the reader through the study of political advertising and makes the case that although many studies have been done, few have systematically analyzed the role of emotion in political campaigns. The author seeks to close this gap through content analysis of more than 1,400 political ads and an experimental investigation of the effect different types of ads have upon citizens. His work is both timely and original. The findings suggest that negatively charged ads cause citizens to conduct more research on their own. Enthusiastic appeals work to motivate committed voters to political action on behalf of their candidate. Brader notes at the onset that he has written his book to accessible beyond an academic audience. He manages to accomplish this feat and retain the rigor of a strong scholar. This book should be read by those interested in the art of political campaigning. Highly recommended."