This week’s episode of WVUD’s Campus Voices features David Redlawsk, James R. Soles Professor and Chair of the University’s department of Political Science and International Relations, whose research focuses on how voters process political information to make their decisions. Prof. Redlawsk appeared live on WVUD on Nov. 10 — two days after the 2016 election.

Prof. Redlawsk spoke with host Richard Gordon and intern Julia Giambastiani about voter turn out, the popular vote and the electoral college, the rhetoric of the campaign, and the media’s role in our country’s partisanship. He was particularly vocal about the function of negativity in political campaigns. His recent book, The Positive Case for Negative Campaigning, makes the case that some negative campaigning provides voters with information that they might not otherwise have access to while other negative campaigning does just make ad hominem attacks.

We discussed the polarized and divided electorate: In almost every state, the rural areas voted Republican, and the urban areas or those in close proximity to universities voted Democrat. He believes that partisanship isn’t anything radically new, and that, in fact the vast majority of Republicans voted for Trump, and the vast majority of Democrats voted for Clinton.

Prof. Redlawsk joined the Political Science and International Relations Department in August 2016 and is teaching POSC 421: Political Psychology in the spring of 2017.

Check out the interview below to hear David Redlawsk discuss the Nov. 8 election!

Listen to the Interview

Dr. David Redlawsk
28:53
55.5MB

Learn more

• Follow David Redlawsk’s twitter account.
• Visit Prof. Redlawsk’s home page.
• New political science chair David Redlawsk brings expertise in voter behavior, psychology, Ann Manser, UDaily, Aug. 18, 2016; hosted at UD Political Science and International Relations website.
• Visit the UD Center for Political Communication website.