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We all hate “negative ads” in political campaigns. And the common wisdom is that they distort the truth, coarsen campaigns, alienate voters, raise levels of public cynicism, and harm our democracy. But careful, systematic scientific study by political scientists of both the content of such ads and the ways in which people process the information they receive from these ads shows us that such ads provide valuable information for citizens about candidates and issues, information that does, in fact, make them better-informed voters who are more strongly connected to the political process. In fact, there is much evidence to indicate that the emotional responses that these ads provoke and the information that they provide allow citizens to learn more from “negative ads” than from so-called “positive ads.” Furthermore, the information and emotional connections that these ads provide draws at least as many citizens into the …