The DOI matches its Crossref record; 100 of the 103 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Elite Influence on Public Opinion in an Informed Electorate
Abstract
An enduring concern about democracies is that citizens conform too readily to the policy views of elites in their own parties, even to the point of ignoring other information about the policies in question. This article presents two experiments that undermine this concern, at least under one important condition. People rarely possess even a modicum of information about policies; but when they do, their attitudes seem to be affected at least as much by that information as by cues from party elites. The experiments also measure the extent to which people think about policy. Contrary to many accounts, they suggest that party cues do not inhibit such thinking. This is not cause for unbridled optimism about citizens' ability to make good decisions, but it is reason to be more sanguine about their ability to use information about policy when they have it.
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“Consistent with this view, a growing number of empirical studies have uncovered evidence that people update their political attitudes and beliefs in line with evidence (e.g., refs. 4,13,27–29) and arguments23,30,31 presented to them.”
From Factual knowledge can reduce attitude polarization (2025) · cites this paper as [27]
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“However, follow-up research indicated that this was true for Republican but not Democratic supporters86.”
From Cognitive–motivational mechanisms of political polarization in social-communicative contexts (2022) · cites this paper as [86]
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Metadata
- Authors
- BULLOCK, J. G.
- Affiliations
- Yale University (US)
- Corresponding author
- BULLOCK, JOHN G.
- ORCID
- BULLOCK, JOHN G.
- Venue
- American Political Science Review
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2011-08
- Volume
- 105
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 496-515
- ISSN
- 0003-0554 (ISSN-L)
- 1537-5943
- OpenAlex
- W3124069454
- Cited by
- 777
- References
- 103
- Citations by year
- 2026: 42 · 2025: 73 · 2024: 46 · 2023: 90 · 2022: 88 · 2021: 49 · 2020: 66 · 2019: 64 · 2018: 70 · 2017: 60 · 2016: 25 · 2015: 34 · 2014: 31 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 154.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Political Science Review (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Electoral Systems and Political Participation
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Political Theory and Democracy
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Media Influence and Politics
- Keywords
- elite influence, public opinion, party cues, policy information, party identification, democratic decision-making
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