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home the archives faculty services arts & science departments college of arts & science mu campus |
Voters who watch presidential debates are more informed on the issuesElection day is just over a month away, and with this week’s presidential debate, candidates have a chance to inform and persuade the public. William Benoit, professor of Communication and one of the leading experts on presidential campaigns, says presidential debates in the latter stages of a campaign can have a profound impact on voters’ response to candidates’ messages.
The 2004 election will likely be decided by those voters who have not yet made up their minds, Benoit said. Recent polls estimate this group at between 12 and 25 percent of voters. According to Benoit, this year’s presidential debates are particularly important because the race is still close and because there is a greater interest in the 2004 campaign than in previous years. This should lead to a larger viewership for the debates. The fact that candidates are limiting their campaigning to the few battleground states means that debates will be particularly important for informing voters in non-battleground states. In fact, viewership for the first presidential debate (September 30) was millions more than for the first presidential debate of 2000. Past research does not indicate that people who watch debates changed their perceptions of candidates’ leadership and ability, Benoit said. Because one of the biggest issues in this year’s election has been a candidate’s ability to lead the country, this may be particularly important. Benoit’s research also found that the first debate in a series has a larger impact on voter choice than those that follow.
Additional links:Bill Benoit |
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"Those who watch debates have significantly more accurate knowledge of the candidates’ stands on the issues than others," Benoit said. "Debates also influence perceptions of the candidates’ character, such as honesty. They tend to reinforce the voters who have made up their minds, but they can affect the vote choice of those who do not have strong opinions." 
Other information about the 2004 presidential campaign, along with historic contextual information, can be found at Benoit’s Presidential Campaign 2004 Website: