Patterns of Change in Mass Political Opinion
Year: 2013
Type: preprint
Abstract: Based on analysis of three commonly cited measures we find that mass political opinion is prone to rapid and dramatic shifts. We investigate the cause of this instability, asking when we should expect systematic changes in mass opinion versus random fluctuations. By focusing mass attention on different topics, the media serves as an important agenda setter for the public. Recent scholarships suggests that the amount of coverage events receive is subject to preferential attachment, where coverage begets coverage. This causes large disparities in the amount of attention the media devotes to different topics. We find that high levels of media scrutiny are closely linked to large shifts in opinion. On the other hand, we find that for issues receiving limited media coverage, large changes are much less likely, and instead opinion fluctuates only moderately. We conclude that disparities in the amount of coverage topics receive leads to a punctuated equilibrium'' pattern of change in mass opinion.
Source: SSRN Electronic Journal
Author: Derek A. Epp
Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Language: English
Topic: Media Influence and Politics
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2225645693