Offensive Discourse in Political Arenas

Project Description

The research project deals with offensive discourse, or negativism, during debates on political issues in Switzerland. Offensive discourse refers to the presence of direct and explicit attacks toward political adversaries (concurrent candidates or debate adversaries). The presence of such attacks in the political system, and especially in political campaigning, has extensively been analyzed in the last decades. However, to our knowledge, no cross-sectional research has been proposed in order to compare the presence of attacks in different political arenas. Furthermore, almost nothing exists on the Swiss case. The project aims to fill this gap. More specifically, we will attempt to shed lights on the forms, causes and consequences of offensive discourse in three political arenas: the parliamentary arena (through the analysis of parliamentary debates), the electoral arena (through the analysis of public debates in the context of direct democratic votes and electoral ballots), and the party organizational arena (through the analysis of debates in parties and ad-hoc referendum committees). Through original data collection and partial reanalysis of previously collected data, we will provide empirical answers to three main questions on the presence of offensive discourse: What are its forms? What are its causes? What are its effects? In order to answer these questions, the research project has six main components (work packages): WP1 (Meta-analysis) aims to provide theoretical foundations on the presence of negativism in the political system; WP2 (Parliamentary debates) aims to provide insights on offensive discourses in the parliamentary debates within Geneva's Constituent Assembly ; WP3 (Direct democracy) aims to shed lights on the forms, causes, and effects of offensive campaigning during popular votes (referenda at the federal level); WP4 (Elections) aims to investigate forms, causes and effects of negativism in political campaigning for federal elections; WP5 (Political organizations) aims to study the forms, causes, and effects of offensive discourse within political organizations (parties and ad-hoc referendum committees).

Team Information

Main applicant: Marco Giugni, University of Geneva

Co-applicant: Alessandro Nai, University of Geneva

Datasets

WP1: Dataset 1: Meta-analysis of effects of negative campaigning

Meta-analysis aiming to provide theoretical foundations on the presence of negativism in the political system. It overviews articles based on Americas-related cased studies, published between 1992 and 2014.

Spatial Coverage: Americas

Time Method: Cross-sectional

Analysis Unit: Article

Universe: Articles based on Americas-related cased studies, published between 1992 and 2014.

Mode of Data Collection: Compilation / Synthesis

Sampling Description: All published articles in peer-review journals

Data Collection Instruments: Codebook

Further Documentation:

How to get the Data? To access the dataset, click here.

How to Cite? ODPOLAR -Meta-analysis of effects of negative campaigning [Dataset]. Distributed by FORS, Lausanne, 2021.

WP 2: Dataset 2: Parliamentary Debates

In-depth content analysis of parliamentary deliberations aimed to provide insights on offensive discourses during parliamentary debates. In order to obtain high variance in types of debates (especially in terms of actors involved, saliency, and issues, characteristics that are likely to influence the deliberation itself and the nature of attacks), all debates occurring in Geneva's Constituent Assembly (Assemblée constituante de Genève) during 2010-2012 were retained.

Spatial Coverage: Switzerland

Time Method: Longitudinal

Analysis Unit: Three "nested"levels ( session- codebook level: séance, specific themes- codebook level: composantes de la séance, offensive discourse-codebook level: interventions offensives)

Universe: Parliamentary debates (Assemblée constituante de Genève) occurring 2010-2012

Mode of Data Collection: Content coding

Sampling Description: All available sessions on video (2010-2012) - 48 out of 56 .

Data Collection Instruments: Codebook

Further Documentation:

How to get the Data? To access the dataset, click here.

How to Cite? ODPOLAR -Parliamentary Debates [Dataset]. Distributed by FORS, Lausanne, 2021.

WP3: Dataset 3: Ads in Press on Popular Initiatives and Referenda

Content analysis of political ads aimed to shed light on the forms, causes, and effects of offensive campaigning during popular votes. The ads are related to Swiss federal-level popular voting (2006-2012) and appeared in six major Swiss newspapers in the month preceding each ballot.

Spatial Coverage: Switzerland

Time Method: Longitudinal

Analysis Unit: Political ads

Universe: Political advertisements related to Swiss federal-level popular voting, published at least 1 month before the vote, in six Swiss newspapers.

Mode of Data Collection: Content coding

Sampling Description: All political ads published in six newspapers (Le Temps, La Tribune de Genève, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Tages Anzeiger, Il Giornale del Popolo, La Regione) in the four weeks preceding each vote (2006-2012).

Data Collection Instruments: Codebook

Further Documentation:

How to get the Data? To access the dataset, click here

How to Cite? ODPOLAR - Ads in Press on Popular Initiative and Referenda [Dataset]. Distributed by FORS, Lausanne, 2021.

Wp3: Dataset 4: TV Debates on Popular Initiatives and Referenda

Content analysis of televised political debates aimed to shed light on the forms, causes, and effects of offensive campaigning during popular votes. The debates addressed the projects submitted to Swiss federal-level popular voting (2008-2012) and aired on the Swiss-French public channel (TSR) and on the Swiss-German public channel (DRS) during the month preceding the vote. Transcriptions of the debates were coded and content-analyzed, in order to measure the presence of offensive discourse and its forms.

Spatial Coverage: Switzerland

Time Method: Longitudinal

Analysis Unit: Three "nested" levels (debates-codebook level: débats, specific themes -codebook level: composantes du débat, offensive discourse -codebook level: interventions offensives)

Universe: Televised debates that took place prior to Swiss federal-level popular voting (2008-2012) on either TSR (during the show Infrarouge) or DRS (during the show Arena).

Mode of Data Collection: Content coding

Sampling Description: All TV debates during the shows Infrarouge and Arena that preceded each vote (2008-2012).

Data Collection Instruments: Codebook

Further Documentation:

How to get the Data? To access the dataset, click here

How to Cite? ODPOLAR- TV Debates on Popular Initiatives and Referenda [Dataset]. Distributed by FORS, Lausanne, 2021.

WP4: Dataset 5: Ads in Press on Elections

Content analysis of political ads aimed to investigate the forms, causes, and especially the effects of negativism in Swiss political campaigning related to the federal elections. Political ads appearing in six major Swiss newspapers in the three months preceding the elections (the ones in 2011, possibly also 2007 and 2003) are considered.

Spatial Coverage: Switzerland

Time Method: Longitudinal

Analysis Unit: Political ads

Universe: Political advertisements related to Swiss federal-level elections, published at least 3months before the vote, in six Swiss newspapers.

Mode of Data Collection: Content coding

Data Collection Instruments: Codebook

Further Documentation:

How to get the Data? To access the dataset, click here

How to Cite? ODPOLAR- Ads in Press on Elections [Dataset]. Distributed by FORS, Lausanne, 2020.

WP5: Dataset 6: Lab Experiments

Experimental laboratory simulations aimed to study the forms, causes, and effects of offensive discourse during debates on political issues in a small-group setting. The experimental simulations were conducted with voluntary students, who were told to discuss a given topic. The sessions were recorded (audio and video) for coding purposes. Data were then used to assess the direct and indirect effect of personality traits on the use of negative discourse

Spatial Coverage: Switzerland

Time Method: Cross-section

Analysis Unit: Three "nested" levels (debates - codebook level: débats, debate items - codebook level: débate items, offensive interventions - codebook level: discours offensif)

Universe: Simulated debates between small groups of participants (students)

Mode of Data Collection: Lab experiments

Sampling Description: Convenience sample of participants recruited via targeted advertisement asking for voluntaries (ads distributed at the University)

Data Collection Instruments: Codebook

Further Documentation:

How to get the Data? To access the dataset, click here

How to Cite? ODPOLAR- Lab Experiments [Dataset]. Distributed by FORS, Lausanne, 2021.

WP5: Dataset 7: SMOs Debates

Participant observation conducted during meetings of selected social movement organizations (SMOs) aimed to empirically assess the individual determinants of negativism during small-group dynamics. The meetings took place between late-March and late-April, 2015.

Spatial Coverage: Switzerland

Time Method: Cross-section

Analysis Unit: Three "nested" levels (debates - codebook level: débats, debate items - codebook level: débate items, offensive interventions - codebook level: discours offensif).

Universe: Regular internal debates within six social movement organizations

Mode of Data Collection: Participant observation

Sampling Description: Debates within six social movement organizations (Genève Escamotée, Feminista, Association pour le Bateau Genève, Contre-Atome, Pro-Vélo, Pro-Natura)

Data Collection Instruments: Codebook

Further Documentation:

How to get the Data? To access the dataset, click here

How to Cite? ODPOLAR - SMOs Debates [Dataset]. Distributed by FORS, Lausanne, 2021.

Selected Publications

Nai, Alessandro. 2013. "What really matters is which camp goes dirty: Differential effects of negative campaigning on turnout during Swiss federal ballots." European Journal of Political Research 52 (1): 44-70.

Nai, Alessandro; Martínez i Coma, Ferran. 2019. "Losing in the polls, time pressure, and the decision to go negative in referendum campaigns." Politics & Governance 7 (2): 278-296.

Nai, Alessandro; Sciarini, Pascal. 2018. "Why 'going negative'? Strategic and situational determinants of personal attacks in Swiss direct democratic votes." Journal of Political Marketing 17 (4): 382-417.

Nai, Alessandro; Walter Annemarie (eds.). 2015. New Perspectives on Negative Campaigning: Why Attack Politics Matters. Colchester: ECPR Press.