Iris Stucki
Ph.D. Student

Subproject 3: Direct Democratic Campaigns and Evaluation

The Role of Evaluation Results in Direct Democratic Campaigns

There is no research analyzing the use of evaluation results when the decision on a policy measure is taken by a plebiscite. Research on the use of evaluation results in framing research is sparse and restricted to the effects of the frames on the recipients. This PhD project aims at closing those gaps by showing on in which campaigns and in which form evaluation results are used, to what extent frames in direct-democratic campaigns are based on evidence and to what extent evaluation results are used in the opinion formation process. I will generate my hypotheses on the base of a theoretical framework of evaluation influence including concepts that I draw from policy analysis, framing theory, political communication and political psychology. The research design includes

1) a descriptive analysis of references to evaluation results in the media that will produce a systematic overview of the empirical field,

2) a comparative case study analysis of campaigns using evidence and campaigns that do not use evidence in order to capture the impact of the use of evidence on framing and, finally,

3) a cross-sectional analysis of reasons for vote choice that allows to shed a light on the use of evidence in opinion formation.

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Unversity of Bern
Center of Competence for Public Management
Schanzeneckstrasse 1
CH-3001 Bern