Do democratic elections heighten ethnic tension in plural societies? To investigate why electoral competition sometimes leads to ethnic polarization, this project focuses on the role that political parties and candidates play in politicizing ethnic cleavages. It seeks to understand why some parties exploit such cleavages to mobilize supporters while others downplay them. The project examines how variation in demographic and political factors affects campaign strategy. Empirically, the project collects data on campaign messages employed by presidential and parliamentary candidates in Kenya. The resulting dataset will be used to examine the factors that encourage or discourage divisive ethnic appeals. By focusing on sub-national variation within one country, the project holds institutional factors constant, making it possible to examine how demographic and political factors affect campaign decisions. It also goes beyond current studies by collecting detailed data on the content of campaign messages employed by a large number of candidates. The project opens further avenues for innovative research by creating a unique dataset that will be made available to other researchers and collaborators. Through collaboration with the University of Nairobi, it creates opportunities for the participation of underrepresented groups. Finally, by investigating the factors that affect campaign strategy, this project contributes to efforts to encourage moderation and stability in ethnically divided societies.
