%0 Journal Article
%T Place
%A B. Kal Munis
%A Nicholas F. Jacobs
%J Political Research Quarterly
%@ 1938-274X
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/1065912918781035
%X Prior research has shown that social identities defined by an attachment to place (i.e., ¡°place-based¡± identities) are influential in shaping how citizens understand and think about political topics. Moreover, prior research has also argued that candidates sometimes use ¡°place-based appeals¡± in order to win support among the electorate, and that such appeals are seemingly widespread. While past research has provided a rich understanding of what place-based identity and place-based appeals are, there is a large gap in what we know about the causal effects of such appeals. In this study, we address this gap by testing experimentally the effects of place-based appeals on voters¡¯ evaluation of candidate likeability and ability to understand their constituents, across the broader American patchwork. Using a set of modified campaign mailer advertisements, we alter whether respondents see an ad that uses rural or urban imagery when introducing a candidate. Our results indicate that, consistent with existing theory, place-based appeals are impactful in shaping political evaluations among rural voters, but do not appear as relevant for urban voters. Overall, we argue that place¡ªor symbolically charged geographical sites¡ªis a useful, widespread, and potentially powerful political heuristic
%K place
%K politics and geography
%K political advertising
%K social identity
%K persuasion
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1065912918781035