This thesis examined the role of agenda setting effects in creating conditions that could predict vote choice within the context of the 2010 general election in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. This survey utilized a mail survey sent to independent voters to measure the public agenda and thorough content analyses of local television news, the major local newspaper, candidate television advertisements and candidate websites to measure the media and candidate agendas. These agendas were compared using an innovative convergence score which reported the percent similarity between any two given agendas.
This thesis found that relationships do exist between agenda convergence and vote choice and suggests the possibility of a model that could direct campaign activities. While this research focuses on the aggregate, campaign level, the methodologies and data herein may be used to examine complex individual level processes of political influence.