When “Tried and True” Advocacy Strategies Backfire: Narrative Messages Can Undermine State Legislator Support for Early Childcare Policies
Exploring the impacts of various types of messaging (narratives, simple propolicy, and a combination of the two), the authors found that messages could backfire and inadvertently lead to a diminished support from state legislators. Findings suggest that advocacy messages should be tested amongst a broader set of groups, as even those that perform well on average can inadvertently backfire and reduce support amongst some groups.