A Partisan/Nonpartisan Schematic Approach to Interpreting Political Cartoons

Abstract

Modern political science research has virtually ignored political cartoons,
although both empirical and normative studies are found in other
disciplines. Q technique has not been widely accepted in political
science circles, which may have contributed to the lack of attention to
cartoons, and political humor more generally, within the discipline. In
this exploratory study, I conduct a Q-methodological experiment
featuring partisan and nonpartisan schematics and their responses to
political cartoons about the 1992 presidential election and partisan
politics. The experiment offers an assessment of the emotional impact of
these cartoons, and utilizes an information-processing framework for
analyzing rational reactions as well.