The Association between Forms of Media Consumption and Party Voting in the 2020 National Elections

by

Faculty Sponsor: Robert Kabacoff

Live Poster Session: Zoom Link

Jane Kakalec

My name is Jane, I am a junior Economics Major and Data Analysis Minor. My hometown is South Burlington, Vermont. At Wesleyan I run Track & Field, and am a member of Wesleyan Women in Finance. In my free time I enjoy spending time outdoors and hanging out with my teammates.

Abstract: In the year of an important American election political polarization has drastically increased. Polarization leads to the question of what causes voters to vote for a certain party. Specifically this study examines the impact of media usage and consumption on what party is voted for in the 2020 national election. The 2020 election saw one of the highest voter turnouts in history along with increasing media consumption by American adults. Previous research indicates that media content, particularly presidential messaging, shapes public opinion and influences voting behavior. This study will look at the specific impact of media usage and the party chosen to vote for.

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