ONE THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE: COGNITIVE CONSISTENCY, POLITICAL KNOWLEDGE, AND THE 1980 PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

Abstract

Despite high expectations, students of the 1960 and 1976 presidential debates were unable to find much evidence that these events significantly affected voters' candidate preferences. As a result, scholars have turned increasingly to cognitive consistency theories to explain viewers' reactions (Or nonreactions) to debates. This article argues that one key mediating variable determining whether or not voters are influenced by debates is their level of political knowledge. Looking at the largely ignored 1980 Carter-Reagan debate, we find that voters with generally low levels of knowledge are particularly affected by the debate, and significant shifts in candidate preferences do occur among this group. The evidence suggests that the debate was an important factor in Ronald Reagan's bid to unseat his Democratic opponent.