Study Finds Political Ads Have Little Persuasive Power

A new Yale study shows that, regardless of content, context, or audience, political ads do very little to persuade voters.

Said political scientist Alexander Coppock: “There’s an idea that a really good ad, or one delivered in just the right context to a targeted audience, can influence voters, but we found that political ads have consistently small persuasive effects across a range of characteristics.”

He added: “Positive ads work no better than attack ads. Republicans, Democrats, and independents respond to ads similarly. Ads aired in battleground states aren’t substantially more effective than those broadcast in non-swing states.”