The Use of Focus Groups in Political Communication Research

Since the 1980s, focus groups have enjoyed considerable attention in political communication. In electoral politics, for instance, focus groups have helped candidates both to refine their own messages and to sharpen strategies to attack their opponents (Kolbert, 1992; Luntz, 1994, 2006; Moyers, 1989; Sypher, 1994). In political news coverage, focus groups have emerged as a story in and of themselves as news outlets use them to gauge audience responses to campaign advertisements and debate performances (Bedard & Kaplan, 2004; Mundy, 2000; “The pulse of the voters,” 1996). And, in academic research, focus groups have become increasingly prevalent across the social sciences (see Morgan, 1996) and in political communication research particularly (see Graber, 2004; Johnson-Cartee, & Copeland, 1997).