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First published online May 9, 2023

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Talk Local to Me: Assessing the Heterogenous Effects of Localistic Appeals

B. Kal Munis https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5364-6580 [email protected] and Richard Burke https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3466-3828View all authors and affiliations

Volume 51, Issue 5

https://doi.org/10.1177/1532673X231173402

Abstract
References
Supplementary Material

Abstract

Contemporary public opinion in the United States has been characterized by affective polarization and the nationalization of political behavior. In this paper, we examine whether local framing can decrease voters’ reliance on national partisan identities when evaluating their representatives in the United States Congress. Relying on both an experimental study and observational data from senators’ Facebook posts, we find evidence that “talking local” is an effective means for representatives to bypass the “perceptual screen” of partisanship . Candidates who “go local” in their communication style are able to expand their electoral coalition by appealing to independents and outpartisans alike. Observational findings suggest that many politicians, especially those representing competitive districts, are aware of this and “go local” strategically.

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