I believe that the data all ready exists to test this.
In Great Britain, political parties are not allowed to fund large advertising campaigns on TV. They are simply allowed 'Party Political Broadcasts' which are on at certain times, must meet strict guidelines and are shown in equal measure.
If this were to happen in the USA, it whould reduce the need for the phenomenal war chests required by campaigners. Although I am sure it would upset a few network executives...they would like this idea about as much as being forced to remove advertisements during super bowl!
Indeed. In addition, the recent scandals surrounding the donation of money to the Labour party in return for honours and peerages has strengthened the hand of those who call for public funding of political parties.
I quite like the idea as it would at least allow those who have been elected to get on with doing the job they were elected to do and not, instead, have to spend a prodigious amount of their time trying to earn money for the next election.
On the actual subject at hand, I welcome this shift in attitudes. There was a recent e-mail from Nigel Smart, a professor in Bristol University's computer science department, which warned students to be cautious about the data that they put online with a view to potential employers questioning their judgement if they show themselves to value privacy so lightly.
What occurred to me at the time though was that he had missed the point somewhat in that they didn't regard privacy lightly, they just have different attitudes towards it. In time the generation polled (and I would suggest these attitudes penetrate a fair way into the 25+ age group too) will be the employers. I found particularly odious though the idea that the real sin was not to go out and have fun but to show yourself doing it. It seems to me that that notion of privacy only encourages us to hide what is really going on from each other.
Are citizens forbidden to purchase advertising then?
I see it as a good sign your prime minister is being investigated - over here's what he's accused of is just generally accepted as standard practice. Sigh.
Generational differences in Attitude on Net use and Privacy
In Great Britain, political parties are not allowed to fund large advertising campaigns on TV. They are simply allowed 'Party Political Broadcasts' which are on at certain times, must meet strict guidelines and are shown in equal measure.
If this were to happen in the USA, it whould reduce the need for the phenomenal war chests required by campaigners. Although I am sure it would upset a few network executives...they would like this idea about as much as being forced to remove advertisements during super bowl!