This study assembles a new quantitative dataset drawn from New York Times coverage to examine whether Democratic and Republican National Committees consistently pursue "party branding" across the postwar period. The author frames the project as a response to qualitative histories that argue national committees matter for party brand building but lack consistent cross-time quantitative measures. Using monthly references of committee activities in the Times for 1953–2012, the research tests whether branding activity changes with parties' control of the White House.
New newspaper-based longitudinal measure DNC and RNC branding focus Comparison of branding vs. service operations
Data and methods
The study constructs a quantitative time series from an external source: New York Times references to national committee activities between 1953 and 2012. The dataset operationalizes different types of committee operations (including branding and other service operations) as counted monthly in the newspaper coverage. The abstract positions this measure as a way to bring consistent cross-time quantitative evidence to questions previously addressed qualitatively.
Main findings
Using the Times-based counts, the author reports that monthly references to party-branding operations fall when a party holds the White House, while coverage of other service-oriented committee operations does not show the same decline. The finding is presented as descriptive patterns in media references and is framed as evidence that committees may step back from a branding role when their party controls the executive branch.
- Branding references decline for parties holding the White House.
- Coverage of other service operations remains steady, suggesting differential committee activity or reporting by operation type.
