Rally round the Flag Effect

1
Rally round the Flag Effect

• Milburn
• Psychology 335

2
Rally round the Flag effect

• Conditions necessary for it to occur
• Halo effect
• Methodological aspect
• Limits on the effect

3
Necessary Conditions

• Crisis
• Remote from publics normal experience
• Government (President) controlling information
• Decisive military action

4
Rally round the Flag effect

• Conditions necessary for it to occur
• Halo effect
• Methodological aspect
• Limits on the effect

5
Halo Effect

• Thorndike (1920)perceptions correlated
• Increased support for President is Rally effect
• Increased support for other (even non-military)
  issues is halo effect

6
Rally round the Flag effect

• Conditions necessary for it to occur
• Halo effect
• Methodological aspect
• Need to be careful in interpreting results of a
  pollyou need to consider the context in which a
  poll is taken situational effect
• Limits on the effect

7
Rally round the Flag effect

• Conditions necessary for it to occur
• Halo effect
• Methodological aspect
• Limits on the effect

8
Limits--Edelman

• Time limited
• President must have control over information with
  which to arouse us
• Actions he takes through language and management
  of political setting must reassure that his team
  is in charge
• Must be remote from normal lifewhen public has
  access to information not controlled by
  presidents, rallies less effective in shaping
  opinion

9
Gallup Poll Results"Do you approve or disapprove
of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as
president?"
Oct 02US invades Afghanistan
US Invasion of Iraq
9/11