CITIZENS' EVALUATIONS OF 1980 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

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Abstract
In this article, the content of citizens' evaluations of the candidates in the 1980 presidential campaign is explored. Using the “likes/dislikes” questions from the 1980 CPS American National Election Study, responses are placed into two broad categories: policy and personal evaluations. The content of these evaluations is then linked to the strategies followed by Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. Five logically necessary conditions for concluding that the campaign strategies had an effect on citizen evaluations of the candidates are stipulated. The data analysis supports all five conditions, and leads to the conclusion that the strategies of the candidates may very well have influenced the outcome of the 1980 presidential election.

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