This volume provides a unique synthesis of the relevant literature from academic studies in the fields of political science, marketing, advertising, speech communication, telecommunication, and public relations combined with the practical wisdom of professional consultants. Offering the reader both the theory and practical applications associated with negative political advertising, this is the first book devoted exclusively to the various forms of negative campaigning in the United States. After developing a typology of negative political spots for greater clarity in explaining and evaluating them, the book addresses effectiveness questions such as: What works? When? Why? and How?

Karen S. Johnson-Cartee, Gary Copeland

Contents: Part I:Introduction. Negative Political Advertising: History, Research, and Analysis. Part II:Analysis of Negative Political Advertising. Substance: The What in Negative Political Advertising. Negative Political Advertising Thematic Designs. Style: The How of Negative Political Advertising. Negative Ads: Sponsor and Channel. Part III:Negative Political Advertising and Society. Combating Negative Ads. Law and Ethics. Effects on Society: An Unexplored Area.