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Google Insights and U.S. Senate Elections: Does Search Traffic Provide a Valid Measure of Public Attention to Political Candidates?

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  • C. Douglas Swearingen
  • Joseph T. Ripberger

Abstract

type="main"> To propose a new indicator of public attention to electoral candidates based on the relative pattern of Internet queries for opposing candidates. To demonstrate the validity of this measure, we use ordinary least squares regression and an F-ratio test. We find that this measure, based on Google Insights data, behaves in a manner consistent with a valid measure of public attention. Moreover, this finding holds when the measure is included in a standard model used to explain U.S. Senate election outcomes. The Google Insights measure of relative public attention shows the shifts in public attention as the campaign is waged and is consistent with how we would expect to see such a measure behave. This research opens numerous avenues for research in the campaigns and elections subfield.

Suggested Citation

  • C. Douglas Swearingen & Joseph T. Ripberger, 2014. "Google Insights and U.S. Senate Elections: Does Search Traffic Provide a Valid Measure of Public Attention to Political Candidates?," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 95(3), pages 882-893, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:95:y:2014:i:3:p:882-893
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/ssqu.12075
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hyunyoung Choi & Hal Varian, 2012. "Predicting the Present with Google Trends," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 88(s1), pages 2-9, June.
    2. Christopher P. Scheitle, 2011. "Google's Insights for Search: A Note Evaluating the Use of Search Engine Data in Social Research," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 92(1), pages 285-295, March.
    3. Abramowitz, Alan I., 1988. "Explaining Senate Election Outcomes," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 82(2), pages 385-403, June.
    4. Zhi Da & Joseph Engelberg & Pengjie Gao, 2011. "In Search of Attention," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 66(5), pages 1461-1499, October.
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