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Presentation Type
Presentation
Full Name of Faculty Mentor
Michael Promisel, Political Science
Major
Political Science
Presentation Abstract
Elections and campaigns are a major component of modern American politics. Therefore it is inevitable that there is great interest in the factors that influence vote choice. While there is a plentiful amount of research pertaining to the use of heuristics, I was interested in how the physical attractiveness of a candidate could impact their success in elections. A prominent example of this occurring is President Kennedy's campaign and presidency. The introduction of radio and television assisted in this greatly, as candidates could be compared beyond their opinions. The Kennedy-Nixon debates were the first televised debates and appearances proved to be important. Kennedy's physical attractiveness was exaggerated in comparison to Nixon who was ill at the time. "As predicted, it was a close election, Kennedy winning the popular vote 49.7 percent to 49.5 percent. Polls revealed that more than half of all voters had been influenced by the Great Debates, while 6 percent claimed that the debates alone had decided their choice." (Editors, 2010). It is my contention that attractiveness has assisted in helping candidates succeed in the past and more importantly, will continue to as technology increases and knowledgable voters do not. This subject is particularly important because of how an element as insubstantial as attractiveness can play a significant role in designating our leaders.
Location
Room 1 (BRTH 101)
Start Date
13-4-2022 3:30 PM
End Date
13-4-2022 3:50 PM
Disciplines
Political Science
Recommended Citation
Beatty, Sara, "The Pageantry of Politics" (2022). Undergraduate Research Competition. 6.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/ugrc/2022/fullconference/6
The Pageantry of Politics
Room 1 (BRTH 101)
Elections and campaigns are a major component of modern American politics. Therefore it is inevitable that there is great interest in the factors that influence vote choice. While there is a plentiful amount of research pertaining to the use of heuristics, I was interested in how the physical attractiveness of a candidate could impact their success in elections. A prominent example of this occurring is President Kennedy's campaign and presidency. The introduction of radio and television assisted in this greatly, as candidates could be compared beyond their opinions. The Kennedy-Nixon debates were the first televised debates and appearances proved to be important. Kennedy's physical attractiveness was exaggerated in comparison to Nixon who was ill at the time. "As predicted, it was a close election, Kennedy winning the popular vote 49.7 percent to 49.5 percent. Polls revealed that more than half of all voters had been influenced by the Great Debates, while 6 percent claimed that the debates alone had decided their choice." (Editors, 2010). It is my contention that attractiveness has assisted in helping candidates succeed in the past and more importantly, will continue to as technology increases and knowledgable voters do not. This subject is particularly important because of how an element as insubstantial as attractiveness can play a significant role in designating our leaders.