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Analyzes the communication processes in direct democratic campaigns and their effect on the opinion formation of the voters. Based on a detailed analysis of the politicians´ strategies, media coverage and the opinion formation of the public in three campaigns, this book argues that the campaigns are more enlightening than manipulating.

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Political Communication: an Integrated Approach; H. Kriesi The Context of the Campaigns; H. Kriesi & L. Bernhard Design of the Study: an Integrated Approach; R. Hänggli , C. Schemer & P. Rademacher Coalition Formation; L. Bernhard & H. Kriesi Construction of the Frames; R. Hänggli , L. Bernhard & H. Kriesi Message Delivery; L. Bernhard Media Organizations in Direct Democratic Campaigns; P. Rademacher , M. A. Gerth & G. Siegert Coverage of the Campaigns in the Media; M. A. Gerth , U. Dahinden , & G. Siegert Key Factors in Frame-building; R. Hänggli The Role of Predispositions; H. Kriesi The Role of Knowledge; H. Bonfadelli & T. N. Friemel When Campaign Messages meet Ideology. The Role of Arguments for Voting Behavior; W. Wirth, J. Matthes , & C. Schemer The Impact of Positive and Negative Effects in Direct-Democratic Campaigns; W. Wirth , C. Schemer , R. Kühne & J. Matthes Conclusion; H. Kriesi Bibliography

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´Interest in political campaigns and the role of the media has increased dramatically over the last few years. Political Communication in Direct Democratic Campaigns offers an impressively broad study of the interactions among politicians, the media and citizens. Based on a comprehensive data collection on three direct democratic campaigns in Switzerland, the contributors to this volume offer fascinating new insights on how media and politicians interact and how this interaction affects and is affected by citizens. Given the innovative and comprehensive design of the data collection this book will influence future work on political communcation.´

- Simon Hug, Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Geneva, Switzerland

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LAURENT BERNHARD Post-Doctoral Researcher at the National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) Switzerland HEINZ BONFADELLI Professor at the Institute for Mass Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich, Switzerland URS DAHINDEN Professor for Communication and Media Science at the University of Applied Sciences in Chur and Senior Lecturer at the University of Zurich, Switzerland THOMAS N. FRIEMEL Senior Teaching and Research Associate at the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich, Switzerland MATTHIAS GERTH Ph.D. Student in Communication Science at the University of Zurich, IPMZ-Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research, Switzerland, and Project Assistant at the NCCR Democracy REGULA HÄNGGLI Senior Research Associate at the NCCR Democracy and a Head Assistant in Comparative Politics at the University of Zurich HANSPETER KRIESI Chair in Comparative Politics at the Department of Political Science of the University of Zurich, Switzerland RINALDO KÜHNE Ph.D. Student at the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research, University of Zürich, Switzerland JÖRG MATTHES Assistant Professor for Political Communication and Political Behavior at the NCCR Democracy and the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich, Switzerland PATRICK RADEMACHER Research Consultant in a Strategy Consulting Firm specialized in the Content Industries CHRISTIAN SCHEMER Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research, University of Zürich, Switzerland GABRIELE SIEGERT Professor of Communication Science and Media Economics at the University of Zurich, Switzerland WERNER WIRTH Professor for Communication and Empirical Media Research at the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research, University of Zürich, Switzerland.

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