Communication Behaviors During Presidential Elections

Abstract

In this study, we use an information utility framework to examine people’s communication behaviors during presidential elections. Data from the National Annenberg Election Study (2004, 2008) and Google Trends (2012, 2016) reveal increases in several communication behaviors (e.g., attention to campaign information, discussing politics, internet searches) closer to Election Day. Moreover, these increases were not uniform throughout the election, with increases concentrated around official campaign events (e.g., presidential conventions and debates). In addition, some evidence showed that people are more likely to engage in communication behaviors in battleground compared to nonbattleground states.