Campaigns Have A Love-Hate Relationship With Their Signs – Here’s Why
Every election cycle, I’m accustomed to seeing campaign signs. But this past summer, I was struck by the sheer number of them in Scottsdale, Arizona, near where I live. I counted 18 on just one corner of a major intersection.
As a linguist who studies political advertising, I’ve read the research arguing that signs don’t make much of a difference.
Clearly, Arizonans think otherwise.
The deluge of signs during primary season reflected the state’s heavily contested races for a U.S. Senate seat, U.S. House seats and statewide offices for governor, secretary of state and attorney general.
Why are there so many signs when studies point to their minimal influence on election outcomes? Where might their value lie?
The history of the political sign
Claiming street corners and front yards for...