Candidates talk about issues to win elections, not to educate voters about them and their beliefs

Why do candidates talk about the issues that they do? While many maintain that candidates running for office discuss specific issues in order to educate voters about their beliefs, John Barry Ryan argues instead that candidates may be clear, ambiguous, or even silent on issues depending on their district’s ideological similarity to their own views. Through an analysis of attitudes towards the Iraq war via statements on Congressional campaign websites, he argues that candidates who believe they are on the same side of the issue as their district are more likely to make clear statements, while those who are not are much more likely to remain silent.