Original scientific paper
Negative Election Campaigns — Causes, Effects and Ethical Dimension. Sample Taken from the 2013 Local Self–Management Elections in the Republic of Croatia
Predrag Haramija
orcid.org/0000-0002-1675-4996
; Zagreb School of Economics and Management, Zagreb, Croatia
Jagoda Poropat Darrer
; Zagreb School of Economics and Management, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The article looks into the causes, effects and ethical dimension of negative election campaigns. The authors first put forth research done up until the present time on techniques, frequency, causes and effects of negative campaigns, then they review different standpoints on the ethical (non–)justifiability of such campaigns. Conclusions are based on a comparison between research done throughout the world and in Croatia until now and the authors’ proper research into causes and effects of negative campaigning in the 2013 local elections in the Republic of Croatia. Fear of the opponents’ strengths (and the weaknesses of one’s own candidates) and the vehemence of the political battle are the main causes of negative campaigns. A campaign of this kind does not increase electoral response at the polls, rather voter response rates decrease in areas where the campaign is most intense. Unlike other countries, negative campaigns in Croatia do not increase the chances of election victory — candidates and parties that availed themselves of negative campaigning methods lost the elections in nine cases out of ten. Negative campaigning, based on slander and lies, does not benefit parties and their candidates, nor does it benefit society as a whole. Thus, from an ethical standpoint, the effects cannot be justified as they are bad for a large part of the population. Also, from the standpoint of duty ethics (that is, to speak
the truth) the campaign is undoubtedly unethical if based on lies and imputation, however it can be morally justified if (for the purpose of the common good) it speaks the truth. If we were to follow the golden rule, »Do not do unto others as you would not have done unto you«, we would likely not undertake negative campaigning.
Keywords
ethics; marketing; promotion; politics; campaign; elections
Hrčak ID:
117815
URI
Publication date:
25.3.2014.
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