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Exploring the direct and indirect effects of elite influence on public opinion

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  • Lauren Ratliff Santoro
  • Elias Assaf
  • Robert M Bond
  • Skyler J Cranmer
  • Eloise E Kaizar
  • David J Sivakoff

Abstract

Political elites both respond to public opinion and influence it. Elite policy messages can shape individual policy attitudes, but the extent to which they do is difficult to measure in a dynamic information environment. Furthermore, policy messages are not absorbed in isolation, but spread through the social networks in which individuals are embedded, and their effects must be evaluated in light of how they spread across social environments. Using a sample of 358 participants across thirty student organizations at a large Midwestern research university, we experimentally investigate how real social groups consume and share elite information when evaluating a relatively unfamiliar policy area. We find a significant, direct effect of elite policy messages on individuals’ policy attitudes. However, we find no evidence that policy attitudes are impacted indirectly by elite messages filtered through individuals’ social networks. Results illustrate the power of elite influence over public opinion.

Suggested Citation

  • Lauren Ratliff Santoro & Elias Assaf & Robert M Bond & Skyler J Cranmer & Eloise E Kaizar & David J Sivakoff, 2021. "Exploring the direct and indirect effects of elite influence on public opinion," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(11), pages 1-15, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0257335
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257335
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Huckfeldt, Robert & Sprague, John, 1987. "Networks in Context: The Social Flow of Political Information," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 81(4), pages 1197-1216, December.
    2. Chong, Dennis & Druckman, James N., 2010. "Dynamic Public Opinion: Communication Effects over Time," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 104(4), pages 663-680, November.
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