Political advertising and the role of information in electoral outcomes and voter welfare

Using Grossman and Helpman's (1996 Review of Economic Studies 63) model of electoral competition as a point of departure, I introduce advertising as a way for candidates to inform "uninformed" voters about their policy commitments. This allows me to explore the incentives to advertise and the role of interest groups, as well as bring Grossman and Helpman's uninformed voters into a utility-maximizing framework that permits welfare analysis.