Center for Political Studies
Institute for Social Research
University of Michigan
P.O. Box 1248
Ann Arbor, MI
48106-1248

Voice: (734) 763-1348
Fax: (734) 764-3341

Title
Mass Media, Emotions, and Responses to Globalization

PI
Ted Brader

Co-Investigator
Nicholas Valentino

Direct Source
National Science Foundation

Abstract
This project examines the capacity of political leaders to shape how citizens respond to the changing economic and cultural conditions often referred to as globalization. Citizens who are uneasy about changes in their communities and uncertain about their job prospects are particularly vulnerable to manipulation or, less pejoratively, opinion leadership. Research to date shows a sizeable gap between expert views of the causes and consequences of globalization and ordinary people's understanding of the situation.

The project seeks to understand both how citizens respond to perceived economic and cultural change and how elite political communication shapes those perceptions and responses. It investigates how the political debate over trade and immigration influences individuals' understanding of those issues, their policy preferences, and their motivation to engage in political action. The research is particularly concerned with the relative effectiveness of two common and distinct aspects of political arguments about globalization:

1. Political appeals to economic interest or social identity
2. Attempts to generate hope and enthusiasm through emphasis on opportunities and success versus attempts to generate fear and anger through emphasis on threat and loss

In this way the research traces the links between the content and character of political messages and the policy opinions and political behavior of citizens, with special attention to the perceptions and emotional responses that intervene between reception and response.