Taking Aim at Attack Advertising

Kim L. Fridkin is a Foundation Professor of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University, where she has taught since 1989. She is an expert in the areas of women and politics, campaigns and elections, and U.S. voting behavior. She is the author of The Political Consequences of Being a Woman and has co-authored The Changing Face of Representation: The Gender of U.S. Senators and Constituent Communications, No Holds Barred: Negative Campaigning in the U.S. Senate, and The Spectacle of U.S. Senate Campaigns with Patrick J. Kenney.Patrick J. Kenney is Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a Foundation Professor of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University, where he has taught since 1986. He is an expert on campaigns, elections, and U.S. voting behavior.

Taking Aim at Attack Advertising is a richly researched and persuasive account of the impact of negative advertising on voter attitudes and mobilization. Fridkin and Kenney (both, Arizona State) theorize that the effect of negative advertising varies according to voters' tolerance of negativity, and the relevance and civility of the negative message. Tolerance for negativity varies by party, gender, and age. This book is well written, persuasively argued, and a useful addition to scholarship on elections. It is aimed at readers with a strong background in political science scholarship and substantial quantitative fluency. It would be appropriate for advanced undergraduate and graduate classes.