Read My Lips: The Electoral Advantages of Rhetorical Specificity in Campaign Promises

• In Event: Experiments in Public Opinion

Brief Overview

We find that promises framed with higher rhetorical specificity, particularly those detailing the process of achieving outcomes, enhance perceptions of a candidate’s honesty, leadership strength, and the likelihood of promise fulfillment.

Authors

• Dona-Gene Barton, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

• Sergio C. Wals, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

• Doyeon Park, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

• Lain Mastey, University of Nebraska, Lincoln