The economy looms large as high unemployment, the soaring deficit and debt, and concerns about Europe and the stability of the global financial system shape the policy landscape for the 2012 presidential campaign. At this event, UCLA political scientist Lynn Vavreck, Ph.D., examines the renewed importance of the economy in the upcoming presidential election and how successful candidates" messages may tip the electoral balance. Vavreck will reflect on the paramount role of campaign messaging, how the economy influences election outcomes and what to watch for in this year"s campaign. Her talk will provide an empirically supported analysis of the crucial factors that will likely determine who becomes the next president of the United States.
Vavreck is an associate professor of political science and communication studies and the director of the Center for the Study of Campaigns at UCLA. Her research focuses on the role that stable structural conditions like the nation"s economy and partisanship play in light of political campaign activities like candidate advertising, stump speeches and candidate visits. Her book "The Message Matters: The Economy and Presidential Campaigns" (Princeton University Press, 2009) has been lauded as "path-breaking" and a "model for research in political science."
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