Negative Campaigns: Are They Good for American Democracy?

Over the past 30 years, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of negative ads broadcast during American campaigns. While in the 1960 Presidential election fewer than 10 percent of all ads could be classified as “negative,” by 2000 that number hovered closer to 40 percent.1 Congressional elections have also become increasingly negative. In both 2008 and 2010, more than half of all the ads aired by candidates for Congress contained negativity.2