Institutions of Democracy

Fifty-five percent of Americans feel they don’t yet know enough about the candidates in the presidential election to make an informed choice, and most don’t know where George W. Bush and Al Gore stand on major policy issues according to new research from the Annenberg 2000 survey released today by the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

At the start of the party conventions much of the public does not know the candidates’ backgrounds and policies.

The 2000 Nominating Campaign: Endorsements, Attacks, and Debates While an endorsement from a politician, newspaper or interest group helped candidates attract voters in the 2000 primaries, endorsements also had a ricochet effect of driving voters to other candidates, according to a new report released from the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

The issue agendas of the candidates varied both within parties and between parties. The Republican candidates were more likely to focus on attacking Gore than Gore or Bradley were to concentrate on attacking the Republicans or Bush.

This report examines how the Telecommunications Act of 1996 created a highly pro-competitive strategic direction for public policy-makers that federal, state regulators, and state legislators appear to be following.

This report compares the 105th Congress to those that preceded it. This report is predicated on the assumption that strong partisanship and civility are not mutually exclusive.

The Minnesota Compact recognizes that improving the quality of public discourse requires a systemic solution involving the public, the press, and politicians.

APPC prepared a background report on civility in the House of Representatives for the bipartisan retreat held in Hershey, Pennsylvania during March of 1997.

This report analyzed thirteen television spots and fifteen free time spots in the 1997 New Jersey governor’s race.