Author: Thomas Stuart, Lecturer in Communications, Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria

While climate change looms large over Democratic politics, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign is keeping its green policies vague, offering few firm positions or clear commitments. This seems like a gamble but, according to research, it may be her smartest political move. Now the official 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, Harris has not yet released a detailed climate policy. Her campaign has mentioned climate change sparingly and has not provided detailed plans on how a Harris administration would address the issue. Research suggests specificity generally signals expertise on key issues and bolsters a candidate’s suitability for leadership roles. In past…