Election-night News And Voter Turnout: Solving The Projection Puzzle - Hardcover

Adams, William C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1588263819 ISBN 13: 9781588263810

Publisher: Lynne Rienner Pub, 2005

Synopsis

In eight of the past dozen presidential elections, TV networks proclaimed the winner while citizens on the West Coast, Hawaii, and Alaska were still casting ballots. Is this a problem? Do media projections decrease voter turnout? Carefully examining data from every presidential election held from 1960 through 2004, William Adams definitively answers both questions.

Adams employs a range of methods (including content analysis, focus groups, survey research, meta-analysis, and time-series analysis) to corroborate his finding that projections do not in fact discourage voter turnout—but do raise serious issues of equity and perceived discrimination. His persuasive analysis suggests clear policy options designed to keep voters from feeling discounted and devalued on election day.

About this title

From the Publisher:

"The best treatment of the issue of election night projections yet to appear. Adams draws reasonable and balanced conclusions, and makes sensible recommendations for policy changes that could minimize an important controversy in our political system."—Scott Keeter, Pew Research Center for the People and the Press

From the Back Cover:

"Adams has put together a remarkable and persuasive collection of studies on an important issue, using a unique, multimethod approach that sets a great example for scholarship." -Trevor Tompson, Public Opinion Quarterly

About this edition

• Publisher: Lynne Rienner Pub
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1588263819
• ISBN 13: 9781588263810
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 149