Democracy

Research

With our partners at GQR, we studied how white women are being targeted with disinformation and learned that questioning the 2020 election results was one of the primary narratives they were seeing with 53% finding that disinformation narrative very or somewhat believable.

Messaging Insights

Tips to consider when messaging to this audience:

• Help voters see our elections as fair and safe. Bring things to the local level, building trust within one’s community. Remind folks that they know their neighbors and the people just like them who are working to ensure every vote is counted. This provides a tangible antidote to the national conversation and disinformation about voter fraud.
• Moderate voters desire more unity and often long for a “better time” when things felt more stable and in control. Offer hope for that in the future and make them the hero of the message to build up their political self-efficacy.
• Avoid triggering fear or feelings of hopelessness. Instead, inspire a belief in positive change by using words and imagery that tap into values of in-group care, security, fairness, responsibility, and patriotism.

Additional message testing conducted in 2023 found the most effective messages to inoculate against authoritarianism and strengthen support for democracy used the following strategies:

• Highlight tangible solutions to problems and examples of people experiencing some type of benefit from government action. First person stories are particularly effective. 
• Talk about individuals making meaningful change alongside their local governments. 
• Emphasize freedom as a reason to support democracy.
• Use examples of effective government action that is not typically top of mind as the role of government, like transit or community spaces (e.g., speed bumps, cleaning up a dangerous construction site) that benefit everyone and build a sense of linked fate. 
• Be careful about being too optimistic about the government and coming across as disingenuous.

The following are some of our top-performing messages on democracy. 

View more here.

The elementary school down the road is where my kids went to school. It’s also where my best friend Laurie and I work on election day. Laurie is in charge of the volunteers and she runs election day like she runs everything else: a well-oiled machine. You know what gets me steamed? All these good people are volunteering to make sure our election goes off without a hitch and then some folks start spouting nonsense about voter fraud? Please. If you’re worried, come down and volunteer. Spend a day with Laurie and you’ll know – democracy is in good hands.	+27pp Focuses on the local level where folks have more trust, brings in fairness, security, and in-group care.
I’m not someone who always votes. I guess I wasn’t too sure how much it mattered. But recently a guy running for Senate stopped by. He asked me about how things were going and he really listened. When he left I thought, I don’t even know if I agree with him on everything, but it feels good to have someone listen and actually care about how folks like us are getting along. It made me realize that voting is the power I have to make sure that what matters to us counts. I’m voting from now on.	+27pp Appeals to a desire to be heard and the uncertainty about politics many in our audience experience.
When we were growing up, our parents made us do chores and help out around the house. My mom would say, no one likes to clean a toilet, but when we all do our part, many hands make light work. Looking back, I’m grateful that they taught us that sense of responsibility and to always do my fair share. It’s shaped who I am. As an adult, it’s why I vote in every election. I feel like voting is part of the deal when you live in a democracy. Voting is how I can show up and pull my weight.	+25pp Connects on values of in-group care, responsibility, and hard work.

Turnkey Creative

Test your knowledge of values-based messages with this quiz!