Raphael Boleslavsky and Christopher Cotton, in "Information and Extremism in Elections", American Economic Journal: Microeconomics 2015, 7(1): 165–207 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/mic.20130006165) report that "today's longer campaign cycles, filled with numerous televised debates and constant news reporting and social media coverage, are causing the rise of extremist politicians" (http://phys.org/news/2016-03-success-extremist-politicians.html). Are you accord or not with this? What is the main objection you have about this study?
http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/mic.20130006165
http://phys.org/news/2016-03-success-extremist-politicians.html
Tricks media known for their hypocrisy, aimed at making money. Due to the novelty of the problems in comparison with the human history of the emergence, in various media campaigns, there are many elements of zombies. A person capable skilfully chat and entertain the audience, always seems to be more advantageous compared to ponder the answers specialist. Is this true?
I agree the communication technology changes contribute to the current environment and I definitely agree that the myth of the 'fourth estate' is simply an attempt to ennoble the commercial media, which exist to sell advertising.
However, I find the article's conclusions ahistorical, at least in the US context. Charles Coughlin's radio campaigns in the 1930's were certainly intended to focus voters on character and other issues not directly related to the policy issues. Pre-Civil War rhetoric was not what one might characterize as measured and involved many ad hominem attacks. The Burr-Hamilton debate ultimately devolved to personal insults and led to Hamilton's demise. In short, I don't think the article's conclusions are consistent with US political history.
I don´t think so. For instante, in Greece the extremist mouvements appeared after the failure of the traditional parties to solve the crisis.
Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world’s ills and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all.
--- John W. Gardner
http://www.forbes.com/quotes/5532/
Somewhere , such televised debate , serious campaigning , and using other IT tools , including electronic and print media , account for for predisposing to an aggressive political aspiration , but this is all a part of the modern day politics full of top class diplomacy.
Today's longer campaign cycles filled with numerous televised debates and constant news reporting and social media coverage is causing the rise of extremist politicians. there is a link between our ability to learn about these dimensions and candidates ideological extremism. Because we started thinking about our next leader so early, the moderate policies many voters want may not be on the table. It is evident that its implications can alter the character of the political process as well as the political composition of the general public.
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