THE POLITICS OF CANDIDATE LIKABILITY

• Main Author: Zicavo Camano, Dahiana Nannette
• Format: Others
• Published: ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University 2013
• Subjects: Honors Thesis; Political Science; Government; Sports; Electorate; Turnout; Characteristics
• Online Access: http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/political_science_hontheses/4; http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=political_science_hontheses

Voter turnout is one of the most widely examined phenomena of interest in Political Science; however, researchers have paid less attention to the specific traits that may determine a candidate’s popularity among the electorate. The United States has a winner-takes-all political system, which indicates that in any given election, the stakes are too high. Consequently, every aspect of the candidate’s life becomes a relevant factor. However, if we could identify which traits are important to the electorate, then we could focus on the important aspects of the political process- the candidate’s stance on the issues. In this study, I focus on the effect that knowledge of a political candidate’s participation has on the candidate’s likability rating. Moreover, I study whether basketball or golf cause the greatest impact.