In Defense of Negativity: Attack Ads in Presidential Campaigns

Negative campaign advertising is usually condemned, and pundits, journalists, voters and scholars often say that attack ads damage elections and democracy. John G. Geer takes the opposite view. He argues that when candidates question one another's views and records, voters and democracy itself both gain.

The book makes its case on the subject of attack ads in presidential campaigns. Its catalogue description says Geer's argument is built around this reversal of the common view.

Political scientists, students of elections and general readers who follow campaign advertising will find the argument a challenge to conventional wisdom.

Edition note: published by University of Chicago Press. ISBN-13: 9780226284996.