Data and code for "The Electric Telegraph, News Coverage and Political Participation"
Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Tianyi Wang, University of Toronto
Version: View help for Version V2
| Name | File Type | Size | Last Modified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Replication | 01/04/2025 09:18:PM |
Project Citation:
Wang, Tianyi. Data and code for “The Electric Telegraph, News Coverage and Political Participation.” Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2025-01-05. https://doi.org/10.3886/E214861V2
Project Description
Summary:
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This paper uses newly digitized data on the growth of the telegraph network in America during 1840–1852 to study the impacts of the electric telegraph on national elections. Exploiting the expansion of the telegraph network in a difference-in-difference approach, I find that access to telegraphed news from Washington significantly increased voter turnout in national elections. Newspapers facilitated the dissemination of national news to local areas. Text analysis on historical newspapers shows that the improved access to news from Washington led local newspapers to cover more national political news, including coverage of Congress, the presidency, and sectional divisions involving slavery.
Scope of Project
Subject Terms:
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economic history;
news media;
information technology;
election
Geographic Coverage:
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United States
Time Period(s):
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1840 – 1852
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