Revitalizing AFL-CIO political outreach: can a direct informational campaign do the trick?

Using an experimental design, the author examines the impact of AFL-CIO political education outreach on union members' perception of, and preferences for, political candidates in three 1996 Wisconsin congressional races. Contrary to the rational voter model, results show that a direct informational campaign has little effect on union member vote behavior. Rather, members' preferences for candidates demonstrate stability during the two months prior to the election, and change in members' perception of candidates is associated with pre-outreach preferences. These results support the psychological voter model, and suggest that organized labor must build a culture of political mobilization to have a substantial impact on electoral outcomes.