Multiple Dimensions of Mobilization: The Effect of Direct Contact and Political Ads on Latino Turnout in the 2000 Presidential Election

Abstract

Campaigns are not national, monolithic, one-size-fits-all events, but instead can be viewed as separate, segmented attempts to engage different groups of voters. This paper explores the effectiveness of different types of mobilization strategies among one group of voters, Latinos. Drawing from an integrated marketing communications framework, we argue that both direct contact and indirect contact should be effective in mobilizing Latinos, with the former having a stronger effect. In addition, we argue that targeted strategies should be more effective than general strategies among this segment of the population. We find support for these hypotheses using data from the 2000 TRPI survey and CMAG data.

Tuning In, Not Turning Out: Evaluating the Impact of Ethnic Television on Political Participation

“…In 2016, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reported that 133 SLTV stations served 39 media markets, and SLTV stations covered 79% of Latino households who own a television . The growth of these stations has coincided with the increasing importance of Latinos as a voting bloc, and political organizations have responded by producing group‐targeted campaign messages (Barreto ; Barreto, Merolla, and Soto ; Panagopoulos and Green ).…”

“…Despite the growing prevalence of ethnic media (e.g., ethnic television), and evidence that short‐term exposure to group‐targeted foreign‐language campaign advertisements can foster electoral engagement (Barreto, Merolla, and Soto ), our knowledge of how long‐term access to ethnic media affects political behavior remains limited. Indeed, existing research on the political effects of ethnic media is characterized by competing theoretical expectations and inconsistent empirical results.…”

“…Numerous studies evaluate the effect of Spanish‐language campaign advertisements and get out the vote (GOTV) messages on turnout and vote choice. This literature employs experimental (Abrajano and Panagopoulos ; Bedolla and Michelson ; Panagopoulos and Green ; Valenzuela and Michelson ) and observational methods (Barreto, Merolla, and Soto ) and largely finds that exposure to ads in Spanish increases turnout. This research, however, addresses a treatment that is substantially different from that of interest to our research question; indeed, this work concerns the effect of short‐term media messages on turnout, with potential mechanisms being “ethnic identity activation,” perceptions of electoral pivotality (Subervi‐Velez ), and overcoming linguistic barriers to participation (Uhlaner, Cain, and Kiewiet ).…”

Partisanship by Invitation: Immigrants Respond to Political Campaigns

“…Other works have found that campaigns can have significant effects on Latino voter participation rates (e.g., Abrajano 2010: Barreto et al 2011;DeFrancesco Soto and Merolla 2006;García Bedolla and Michelson 2012;Panagopoulos and Green 2010). In light of this literature, it is reasonable to assume that Latino immigrants are cognizant of election-year political conflict and out-reach.…”

“…Both types of messages could be compelling for immigrants, making the American party system more approachable. Since the 1990s, campaign organizations have made special efforts to reach out to foreign-born Latinos by airing increasing numbers of political ads in Spanish (Abrajano 2010;Barreto, Merolla, and DeFrancesco Soto 2011).…”