Data and code for "The Electric Telegraph, News Coverage and Political Participation"

<div>This paper uses newly digitized data on the growth of the telegraph network in America during 1840–1852 to study the impacts of the electric telegraph on national elections. Exploiting the expansion of the telegraph network in a difference-in-difference approach, I find that access to telegraphed news from Washington significantly increased voter turnout in national elections. Newspapers facilitated the dissemination of national news to local areas. Text analysis on historical newspapers shows that the improved access to news from Washington led local newspapers to cover more national political news, including coverage of Congress, the presidency, and sectional divisions involving slavery.</div><br><br><br>

本文采用1840年至1852年间美国电报网络扩张的全新数字化数据，探究电报对美国全国选举的影响。通过双重差分法（difference-in-difference）分析电报网络的扩张效应，本文研究发现：能够获取来自华盛顿的电报新闻，可显著提升全国选举的选民投票率。报纸为全国性新闻向地方的传播提供了重要助力。对历史报纸的文本分析表明：随着获取华盛顿新闻的渠道得到改善，地方报纸会增加对全国性政治新闻的报道，内容涵盖国会动态、总统事务以及涉及奴隶制的地区性分歧。