Voter Learning in the 1988 Presidential Election: Did the Debates and the Media Matter?

This study found that the 1988 televised debates between Republican George Bush and Democrat Michael Dukakis did lead to greater knowledge of campaign issues. The debates proved more influential on knowledge than did exposure to other types of news that were measured in the study. Higher levels of education and campaign interest also were related to more issue knowledge. Image knowledge, however, was better predicted by political party loyalties. The study was based on a survey of 252 people of voting age in Bloomington, Indiana. The study concludes that televised debates—often criticized for being contrived—make a contribution to political learning.