Electing Presidents by Propaganda: Advertising Slogans Succeed in Political Campaign; Affirmation, Repetition, and Contagion in Publicity Are Used to Offset Reason.

• Date: 01 October 2022

APPEAL TO ECONOMY

The second most important reason given by those who voted for the successful candidate was that he (the President) was saving their money in the way of an economy program (bonus, postal salaries, pension vetoes) and tax reduction. This was accorded a prominent place despite the alleged waste of the administration through oil leases, Veterans Bureau corruption, and huge naval expenditures of doubtful value.

Party loyalty played a lesser part than might be expected, being fifteenth with both Democrats and Republicans, while sex differences appear to be inconsiderable, which is interesting in view of popular opinion the world over.

The question arises: Does the successful campaign deal with reasoned conclusions, serious policies, and sane judgments--or play up the deeply implanted responses, making the voter believe by repeated suggestion that his own best interest is to vote for its candidate; that not to do so would mean hard...