Dynamics of Referendum Campaigns : An International Perspective

by de Vreese, Claes H.

• ISBN13: 9780230517837
• ISBN10: 0230517838
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-11-15
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

The Dynamics of Referendum Campaigns argues for the importance of campaigns in referendums and demonstrates their significant role in changing public opinion, in bringing about political participation, and in underpinning the voters' choice of whether to say Yes or No. Given the characteristics of referendums, we can often expect a greater degree of volatility and uncertainty in vote preferences in a referendum campaign compared to a general election campaign. This volume demonstrates which conditions result in the largest campaign volatility and which citizens are most affected by campaigns vis-a-vis existing predispositions.

Author Biography

CLAES H. DE VREESE is Professor and Chair of Political Communication and Director of The Amsterdam School of Communications Research ASCoR at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He has published widely on media and campaign effects, electoral behaviour, comparative journalism, EU referendums and public opinion.

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Figures	p. vii
Preface	p. xii
Notes on the Contributors	p. xiv
Context, Elites, Media and Public Opinion in Referendums: When Campaigns Really Matter	p. 1
Opinion Formation and Change in Referendum Campaigns	p. 21
The Importance of Context and Political Systems
The Strategic Context of Referendums on the EU Constitution	p. 47
Referendum Campaigns: Changing What People Think or Changing What They Think About?	p. 63
Campaign Information and Voting Behaviour in EU Referendums	p. 84
Turnout and Political Participation
The Participation in Swiss Direct-Democratic Votes	p. 117
Turnout in Referendums: the Dutch Experience. An Analysis of Voter and Referendum Characteristics that Influence Turnout in Referendums	p. 142
E-voting and Electoral Participation	p. 159
Understanding the Vote Choice and the Outcome
Immigration, Identity, Economy and the Government: Understanding Variation in Explanations for Outcomes of EU-related Referendums	p. 185
The Ideological Response: Saying No to the Euro	p. 206
The Determinants of Voting Choices on Environmental Issues: A Two-level Analysis	p. 234
Index of Names	p. 267
Index of Subjects	p. 271
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