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The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
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Do Phone Calls Increase Voter Turnout? An Update

Alan S. Gerber

Yale University, Center for the Study of American Politics

Donald P. Green

Yale University, Institution for Social and Policy Studies

This article estimates the extent to which nonpartisan phone calls from commercial phone banks increase voter turnout. Prior to the 1998 and 2002 elections, randomized field experiments were conducted in which more than 1 million subjects were randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions. The results indicate that this type of phone calling campaign is ineffective.

Key Words: voter turnout • voter mobilization • field experiments

References

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  • Cardy, Emily Arthur. 2005. An experimental study of the GOTV and persuasion effects of partisan direct mail and phone calls. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 601:28-40.[Abstract]
  • Eldersveld, Samuel J. 1956. Experimental propaganda techniques and voting behavior. American Political Science Review 50:154-165.[CrossRef][Web of Science]
  • Gerber, Alan S., and Donald P. Green. 2000. The effects of canvassing, direct mail, and telephone contact on voter turnout: A field experiment. American Political Science Review 94:653-663.[CrossRef][Web of Science]
  • Gerber, Alan S., and Donald P. Green. 2001.Do phone calls increase voter turnout? A field experiment. Public Opinion Quarterly 65:75-85.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Gerber, Alan S., Donald P. Green, and David Nickerson. 2001. Testing for publication bias in political science. Political Analysis 9:385-392.
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  • McNulty, John E. 2005. Phone-based GOTV—What’s on the line? Field experiments with varied partisan components, 2002-2003. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 601:41-65.[Abstract]
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  • Nickerson, David W. 2004. Phone calls can increase turnout: Evidence from six field experiments. Manuscript, Institute for Social and Policy Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
  • Nickerson, David W., Ryan D. Friedrichs, and David C. King. Forthcoming. Mobilization campaigns in the field: Results from a statewide turnout experiment in Michigan. Political Research Quarterly.
  • Ramírez, Ricardo. 2005. Giving voice to Latino voters: A field experiment on the effectiveness of a national nonpartisan mobilization effort. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 601:66-84.[Abstract]
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  • Rosenstone, Steven J., and John Mark Hansen. 1993. Mobilization, participation, and democracy in America. New York: Macmillan.

The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 601, No. 1, 142-154 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/0002716205278445


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