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Political Sophistication and Policy Reasoning: A Reconsideration

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  • Paul Goren

Abstract

The sophistication‐interaction theory of mass policy reasoning, which posits that the strength of the relationship between abstract principles and policy preferences is conditional on political sophistication, dominates the study of public opinion. This article argues that the sophistication‐interaction theory does not hold to the degree the consensus claims. Specifically, it challenges the proposition that sophistication promotes the use of domain‐specific beliefs and values. Analysis of 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1990 NES data yields two compelling findings. First, a series of confirmatory factor analyses indicate that beliefs about equal opportunity, self‐reliance, and limited government in the social welfare domain and about militarism and anticommunism in the foreign policy domain are structured coherently and equivalently in the minds of citizens at different levels of sophistication. Second, structural equation model results demonstrate that political sophistication does not systematically enhance the impact these principles have on policy preferences.

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  • Paul Goren, 2004. "Political Sophistication and Policy Reasoning: A Reconsideration," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 48(3), pages 462-478, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:amposc:v:48:y:2004:i:3:p:462-478
    DOI: 10.1111/j.0092-5853.2004.00081.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Logan Dancey & Paul Goren, 2010. "Party Identification, Issue Attitudes, and the Dynamics of Political Debate," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(3), pages 686-699, July.
    2. Justin Reedy & Chris Wells & John Gastil, 2014. "How Voters Become Misinformed: An Investigation of the Emergence and Consequences of False Factual Beliefs," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 95(5), pages 1399-1418, December.
    3. Creed Tumlison & Geoboo Song, 2019. "Cultural Values, Trust, and Benefit‐Risk Perceptions of Hydraulic Fracturing: A Comparative Analysis of Policy Elites and the General Public," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 39(3), pages 511-534, March.
    4. Stephen Ansolabehere & Philip Edward Jones, 2010. "Constituents’ Responses to Congressional Roll‐Call Voting," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(3), pages 583-597, July.
    5. Rachael M. Moyer, 2022. "Images of controversy: Examining cognition of hydraulic fracturing among policy elites and the general public," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 39(4), pages 441-467, July.

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