However, campaigning did not occur often enough to produce real democratic discussion. In districts without competitive races, citizens had little or no opportunity to learn about the candidates or their positions on the issues. The students actually found something they weren t expecting, said Hedli. There wasn t a lot of negative advertising, and the reason for that is that in the state of New Jersey there are no longer competitive races. Most campaigns are decided before people get a chance to vote.
Candidates can afford to run a clean race because often there is no race.
The findings have been published in several New Jersey newspapers including The Home News Tribune and The Trenton Times . I have a feeling we ll be working with Eagleton again - perhaps on the presidential election. The students also found the project to be a rewarding experience. I feel like I want to get out there and campaign. It was really beneficial for me.