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Local television, citizen knowledge and U.S. senators' roll-call voting

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  • Nordin, Mattias

Abstract

I study the effect of access to local television on citizens' political knowledge. I do so by utilizing the mismatch between U.S. television markets and state borders, causing some citizens to receive local television which primarily covers neighboring state politics. I find that access to relevant local television causes citizens to be more informed about their senators' roll-call votes, and more likely to hold opinions about these senators. I also find that citizens with access to relevant local television are more likely to assess their senators based on how well the senators' roll-call votes align with the citizens' policy preferences. These results suggest that passively acquired information through television can help individuals evaluate their elected representatives.

Suggested Citation

  • Nordin, Mattias, 2019. "Local television, citizen knowledge and U.S. senators' roll-call voting," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 212-232.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:poleco:v:56:y:2019:i:c:p:212-232
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2018.08.012
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Local television; Political information; Natural experiment; Roll-call votes;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General
    • H50 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - General

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