The Civic Option? Using Experiments to Estimate the Effects of Consuming Information in Local Elections

IF 3.2 Q1 POLITICAL SCIENCE Journal of Experimental Political Science Pub Date : 2022-10-04 DOI:10.1017/XPS.2022.19

Cheryl Boudreau, Christopher S. Elmendorf, Scott A. Mackenzie

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Abstract Political parties and civic organizations disseminate information to improve citizen decision making in local elections. Do citizens choose to consume such information and, if so, how does it affect their decisions? We conduct a survey experiment during a real-world local election that randomly assigns 1) political party endorsements, 2) a voter guide, 3) no information, or 4) a choice among these options. Respondents assigned to receive party endorsements and a voter guide are more likely than respondents receiving no information to choose candidates who share their policy views. When given a choice, a majority opts to receive information (including many with low levels of political interest), with most respondents preferring a voter guide. Using an instrumental variable approach, we show that the effect of information on those who choose to receive it is substantial. These results offer hope that voter education efforts can succeed despite widespread political disinterest.

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公民选择?利用实验估计地方选举中信息消费的效果

摘要政党和民间组织传播信息，以改善公民在地方选举中的决策。公民是否选择消费此类信息？如果是，这将如何影响他们的决策？我们在现实世界的地方选举中进行了一项调查实验，随机分配1）政党支持，2）选民指南，3）没有信息，或4）在这些选项中进行选择。被指派接受政党支持和选民指南的受访者比没有收到信息的受访者更有可能选择与他们政策观点相同的候选人。当有选择时，大多数人选择接收信息（包括许多政治兴趣较低的人），大多数受访者更喜欢选民指南。使用工具变量方法，我们表明信息对那些选择接受信息的人的影响是巨大的。这些结果为选民教育工作带来了希望，尽管人们普遍对政治不感兴趣。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Experimental Political Science Social Sciences-Sociology and Political Science

CiteScore

5.10

自引率

8.30%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Journal of Experimental Political Science (JEPS) features cutting-edge research that utilizes experimental methods or experimental reasoning based on naturally occurring data. We define experimental methods broadly: research featuring random (or quasi-random) assignment of subjects to different treatments in an effort to isolate causal relationships in the sphere of politics. JEPS embraces all of the different types of experiments carried out as part of political science research, including survey experiments, laboratory experiments, field experiments, lab experiments in the field, natural and neurological experiments. We invite authors to submit concise articles (around 4000 words or fewer) that immediately address the subject of the research. We do not require lengthy explanations regarding and justifications of the experimental method. Nor do we expect extensive literature reviews of pros and cons of the methodological approaches involved in the experiment unless the goal of the article is to explore these methodological issues. We expect readers to be familiar with experimental methods and therefore to not need pages of literature reviews to be convinced that experimental methods are a legitimate methodological approach. We will consider longer articles in rare, but appropriate cases, as in the following examples: when a new experimental method or approach is being introduced and discussed or when novel theoretical results are being evaluated through experimentation. Finally, we strongly encourage authors to submit manuscripts that showcase informative null findings or inconsistent results from well-designed, executed, and analyzed experiments.