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Name Recognition and Candidate Support

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  • Cindy D. Kam
  • Elizabeth J. Zechmeister

Abstract

The mass media devote a great deal of attention to high‐profile elections, but in American political life such elections are the exception, not the rule. The majority of electoral contests feature candidates who are relative unknowns. In such situations, does name recognition breed contempt, indifference, or affection? Existing work presents modest theory and mixed evidence. Using three laboratory experiments, we provide conclusive evidence that name recognition can affect candidate support, and we offer strong evidence that a key mechanism underlying this relationship is inferences about candidate viability. We further show that the name‐recognition effect dissipates in the face of a more germane cue, incumbency. We conclude with a field study that demonstrates the robustness of the name‐recognition effect to a real‐world political context, that of yard signs and a county election.

Suggested Citation

  • Cindy D. Kam & Elizabeth J. Zechmeister, 2013. "Name Recognition and Candidate Support," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 57(4), pages 971-986, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:amposc:v:57:y:2013:i:4:p:971-986
    DOI: 10.1111/ajps.12034
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    Cited by:

    1. Jeremy C. Roberts, 2020. "The Populist Radical Right in the US: New Media and the 2018 Arizona Senate Primary," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 111-121.
    2. Nolan Kopkin & Andrew Roberts, 2022. "Biases in elections with well‐informed voters: Evidence from public voting for football awards," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 103(7), pages 1551-1571, December.
    3. McCaskey Kelly & Rainey Carlisle, 2015. "Substantive Importance and the Veil of Statistical Significance," Statistics, Politics and Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 6(1-2), pages 77-96, December.
    4. Michael Courtney & Michael Breen & Claire McGing & Iain McMenamin & Eoin O'Malley & Kevin Rafter, 2020. "Underrepresenting Reality? Media Coverage of Women in Politics and Sport," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 101(4), pages 1282-1302, July.
    5. Matthew D. Mitchell, 2019. "Uncontestable favoritism," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 181(1), pages 167-190, October.
    6. Palguta, Ján & Pertold, Filip, 2021. "Political salaries, electoral selection and the incumbency advantage: Evidence from a wage reform," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 1020-1047.
    7. Susumu Shikano & Dominic Nyhuis, 2019. "The effect of incumbency on ideological and valence perceptions of parties in multilevel polities," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 181(3), pages 331-349, December.
    8. Morton, Rebecca B. & Ou, Kai & Qin, Xiangdong, 2020. "Reducing the detrimental effect of identity voting: An experiment on intergroup coordination in China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 320-331.

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