Presidential and vice presidential debates in 2008: A profile of audience composition

Kate Kenski, Kathleen Hall Jamieson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this study, the authors examine the composition of the audiences for the presidential and vice presidential debates in 2008. Results from the 2008 National Annenberg Election Survey show that the size of the vice presidential debate-viewing audience in 2008 exceeded the sizes of the presidential debate-viewing audiences, which is atypical from prior campaign seasons. The same general demographic and political characteristics that have driven political debate viewing in the past were operative during the 2008 presidential and vice presidential debate season, with debate viewing by Blacks being a notable exception. Contrary to our predictions, females were not more likely than males to watch the vice presidential debate. Debate watching was significantly associated with the favorability ratings of the candidates on the Democratic ticket, but it was not associated with the ratings of the Republican nominees.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)307-324
Number of pages18
JournalAmerican Behavioral Scientist
Volume55
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2011

Keywords

  • 2008 debates
  • debate audiences
  • debate viewership
  • presidential debates
  • vice presidential debates

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Cultural Studies
  • Education
  • Sociology and Political Science
  • General Social Sciences

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Presidential and vice presidential debates in 2008: A profile of audience composition'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this