Political Communication in Direct Democratic Campaigns

LAURENT BERNHARD Post-Doctoral Researcher at the National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) Switzerland HEINZ BONFADELLI Professor at the Institute for Mass Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich, Switzerland URS DAHINDEN Professor for Communication and Media Science at the University of Applied Sciences in Chur and Senior Lecturer at the University of Zurich, Switzerland THOMAS N. FRIEMEL Senior Teaching and Research Associate at the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich, Switzerland MATTHIAS GERTH Ph.D. Student in Communication Science at the University of Zurich, IPMZ-Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research, Switzerland, and Project Assistant at the NCCR Democracy REGULA HANGGLI Senior Research Associate at the NCCR Democracy and a Head Assistant in Comparative Politics at the University of Zurich HANSPETER KRIESI Chair in Comparative Politics at the Department of Political Science of the University of Zurich, Switzerland RINALDO KUHNE Ph.D. Student at the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich, Switzerland JORG MATTHES Assistant Professor for Political Communication and Political Behavior at the NCCR Democracy and the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich, Switzerland PATRICK RADEMACHER Research Consultant in a Strategy Consulting Firm specialized in the Content Industries CHRISTIAN SCHEMER Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich, Switzerland GABRIELE SIEGERT Professor of Communication Science and Media Economics at the University of Zurich, Switzerland WERNER WIRTH Professor for Communication and Empirical Media Research at the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich, Switzerland

Analyzes the communication processes in direct democratic campaigns and their effect on the opinion formation of the voters. Based on a detailed analysis of the politicians' strategies, media coverage and the opinion formation of the public in three campaigns, this book argues that the campaigns are more enlightening than manipulating.Analyzes the communication processes in direct democratic campaigns and their effect on the opinion formation of the voters. Based on a detailed analysis of the politicians' strategies, media coverage and the opinion formation of the public in three campaigns, this book argues that the campaigns are more enlightening than manipulating.