Campaigns and ElectionsPolitical campaigns are very important in American politics and elections. This is the period before the electorate makes political decisions in the form of elections. Citizens' attention to politics intensifies as the election date approaches. Voter salience improves as the election date approaches and could manifest in increased media attention. Political discussions, interest in the campaign, strength of intention to vote, and knowledge of candidates are other manifestations of increased voter salience. Another sign of greater intensity is the effort expended by candidates and their political parties in campaigns. Parties intensify their campaign efforts by increasing the funds disbursed for the campaign, for example by increasing the amount of television advertising (Brady, Johnston and Sides, 2007). The increase may also be the result of a redistribution of the overall campaign amount, which increases the campaign's effect on the media and some voters. Effectiveness of Political Campaigns Campaigns are an important part of the democratic process in American politics. People making decisions individually and interdependently characterize the democratic process. It facilitates citizens' decision-making and allows them to formulate a synthetic political judgment based on how they perceive the different candidates. Campaigns are the main strategy used by candidates and parties to communicate politically to citizens. American political campaigns are informative and provide candidates with an opportunity to inform their electorate about their ideologies and policies. Through political campaigns, citizens are able to evaluate the policies adopted middle of paper ......Stanford University Press. Schmidt, SW, Shelley, MC, & Bardes, BA (2009). American Government and Politics Today. Mason: Cengage Learning Foundation.Reuters. (nd). The media and the electoral process: reference material. Reuters Foundation. Retrieved from http://webworld.unesco.org/download/fed/iraq/english/media_elections_en.pdfThe Museum of Broadcast Communications. (2011). Political processes and television. Retrieved from http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=politiqueproBrady, HE, Johnston, R. and Sides, J. (May 18, 2007). The study of political campaigns. Retrieved November 16, 2011, from GWU: http://home.gwu.edu/~jsides/study.pdf Miller, CC (November 7, 2008). How Obama's Internet Campaign Changed Politics. New York Times. Retrieved from http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/how-obamas-internet-campaign-changed-politics/