2010'LARDA DEMOKRATLAR VE CUMHURİYETÇİLER: ABD SİYASETİNDE SİYASAL İLETİŞİM ÜZERİNE BİR ARAŞTIRMA

Köklü bir demokrasi geleneğine sahip olan Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’nde (ABD) gerçekleştirilen başkanlık seçimleri, seçmenlerin hem yerleşik/gömülü değerlerini hem de güncel konulara ilişkin bakış açılarını ifade edebilecekleri önemli bir platform hüviyetindedir. Farklı siyasi geleneklere, değer setlerine ve siyasal tutumlara sahip olan Cumhuriyetçi Parti ile Demokrat Parti ise ülkenin siyasi tarihinin önemli kurumsal aktörleridir. Bu çalışma, ABD’de 2010'lu yıllarda gerçekleştirilen seçimlerin temel belirleyenlerini tespit etmeyi ve siyasi aktörlerin bu belirleyiciler karşısında geliştirdikleri siyasal iletişim stratejilerini ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Sistematik olarak tek bir araştırma yönteminin kullanılmadığı çalışmayı, içerik analizi ile söylem analizi yöntemlerinin belirli tekniklerinden yararlanılmış olan nitel bir araştırma olarak kategorize etmek mümkündür. Çalışma; aday imajının, ekonomiyle alakalı konulardaki yaklaşım farklılıklarının ve muhafazakâr değerlerin 2010'lu yıllarda yapılan seçimlerde siyasal iletişim stratejilerini ve seçmen tercihlerini ne şekilde etkilediği konusuna odaklanmıştır. Çalışmanın bulgularından hareketle, başkan adayının siyasal iletişim kampanyası sürecinde ortaya koyduğu lider imajının seçmen tercihlerinde en önemli belirleyici olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır. Diğer bir ifadeyle, ABD başkanlık seçimlerinin kazananı siyasi partiler değil, adaylardır. Bu nedenle söz konusu seçimlerde siyasal iletişim kampanyaları, lider odaklı olarak tasarlanmaktadır. Diğer taraftan ekonomi temelli konulara yaklaşım, ABD siyasetindeki belirleyicilik vasfını 2010’larda da korumuştur. Ekonomiyi merkeze alan seçim vaatleri ve politika önerileriyle Demokratlar, özellikle ekonomik kriz dönemlerinde Cumhuriyetçilere karşı kayda değer bir avantaj elde etmektedir. Bununla birlikte Amerikan toplumunun özellikle 90’lardan itibaren tecrübe ettiği sosyolojik dönüşüm, muhafazakâr değerlerin ABD seçimleri üzerindeki belirleyiciliğini önemli ölçüde yitirmesine sebep olmuştur.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

ABD siyaseti, Demokratlar, Cumhuriyetçiler, siyasal iletişim, seçim

DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS IN THE 2010S: A STUDY ON POLITICAL COMMUNICATION IN US POLITICS

Elections in the United States, with its long tradition of democracy, provide a platform for voters to express both their established/embedded values and their perspectives on current issues. The Republican Party and the Democratic Party, which have different traditions, values and political attitudes, are prominent institutional actors in the country's political history. This study aims to understand the main determinants of US elections in the 2010s and the political communication strategies developed by the actors in response to these determinants. Although the study does not systematically adhere to a single research method, it can be categorised as qualitative research using content and discourse analysis techniques. It analyses the impact of candidate image, the economy and conservative values on voter preferences and political communication strategies in the elections held in 2010s. According to the results of the study, the image of the presidential candidate is the most important determinant of voter preferences in US elections. In other words, candidates, not political parties, win elections. Therefore, political communication campaigns are designed in a leader-oriented way. In addition, economic issues have remained important in US politics, especially during the election periods of the 2010s. The Democrats, who placed economic issues at the centre of their campaign promises, had a relative advantage over the Republicans, especially in times of economic crisis. On the other hand, as a result of sociological changes in American society, the influence of conservative values on elections has declined dramatically in recent years.

Keywords:

US politics, Democrats, Republicans, political communication, election,

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