Political communication and elections to the Parliament of Catalonia: chronicle of a decade of research (1995-2006) DOI: 10.2436/20.3008.01.82

Abstract

This study aims to be an academic chronicle of research into political and electoral communication: the interdisciplinary study of the four election campaigns to the Parliament of Catalonia between 1995 and 2006. The scientific value of this type of electoral study lies in the collection, systematisation and interpretation of processes and empirical evidence that has shaped the historical experience of each campaign – its political context and election results, the performance of parties and candidates, media narratives and discourse, and the perception and electoral behaviour of citizens. In broad terms, the study takes on and confirms two hypotheses of international research: the centrality of the three main actors of political communication (parties, media and citizens) and the notion of a circular structure in electoral communication.

KEY WORDS:

political communication, elections, Parliament of Catalonia, election campaigns, public opinion, electoral behaviour.