Do election campaigns matter? Maybe not as much as we think

“Campaigns matter.”
It is probably the shortest adage in politics. And one that everyone takes as gospel.
Maybe we shouldn’t.
We think campaigns matter because political parties can win or lose based on what happens during the relatively short period of an election campaign.
Consequently, we think politicians are justified in pouring oodles of money and effort into winning over voters.
However, a new mega study by a couple of American political scientists is raising doubts abou