According to the conventional wisdom, incivility in political campaigns hurts democracy – it increases skepticism, reduces turnout, and creates a hostile public atmosphere. But according to new research by Deborah Jordan Brooks (Dartmouth College) and John G. Greer (Vanderbilt University), this conventional wisdom is incorrect.
In their recent article, “Beyond Negativity: The Effects of Incivility on the Electorate,” which appeared in the January 2007 issue of the American Journal of Political Science, there is “no evidence that even the most despised of candidate messages – negative, uncivil, trait-based messages – are harmful to the democratic engagement of the polity” (12). In …read more

After the unexpectedly strong showing among younger voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, many commentators are celebrating increases in youth turnout as though it was a new phenomenon. But turnout among so-called Millennial voters (ages 18-30) has been increasing for years. That’s an even bigger reason to celebrate – the surge of younger voters seen in Iowa and New Hampshire isn’t just a surprising aberration, it is part of an ongoing trend of greater turnout among young adults.
According to the US Bureau of the Census:

Among 18 to 20 year-olds, turnout was about 31% in 1996, and after a small dip …read more

As the first formal step toward choosing presidential finalists, the Iowa Caucuses attract far more money than the state’s small size would suggest.
According to several trustworthy estimates, candidates will spend at least $22,000,000, and as much as $30,000,000 wooing Iowa caucusgoers. How much is that per voter? Bear with me – the answer requires some math.
In 2004, turnout for the Iowa Caucus was 133,353, which equaled 6.1% of eligible voters.
In 2000 it was 145,000, or 6.8% of eligible voters.
Let’s use the 2000 figure, since there was no incumbent candidate.
In the last 8 years, the population of Iowa has increased, so …read more