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Citizens, Knowledge, and the Information Environment

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  • Jennifer Jerit
  • Jason Barabas
  • Toby Bolsen

Abstract

In a democracy, knowledge is power. Research explaining the determinants of knowledge focuses on unchanging demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. This study combines data on the public's knowledge of nearly 50 political issues with media coverage of those topics. In a two‐part analysis, we demonstrate how education, the strongest and most consistent predictor of political knowledge, has a more nuanced connection to learning than is commonly recognized. Sometimes education is positively related to knowledge. In other instances its effect is negligible. A substantial part of the variation in the education‐knowledge relationship is due to the amount of information available in the mass media. This study is among the first to distinguish the short‐term, aggregate‐level influences on political knowledge from the largely static individual‐level predictors and to empirically demonstrate the importance of the information environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Jennifer Jerit & Jason Barabas & Toby Bolsen, 2006. "Citizens, Knowledge, and the Information Environment," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 50(2), pages 266-282, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:amposc:v:50:y:2006:i:2:p:266-282
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-5907.2006.00183.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Sara Chinnasamy* & Norminaliza Mohamed Azmi, 2018. "Malaysian 14th General Election: Young Voters & Rising Political Participation," The Journal of Social Sciences Research, Academic Research Publishing Group, pages 125-138:4.
    2. Pagliara, Francesca & Aria, Massimo & Russo, Lucia & Della Corte, Valentina & Nunkoo, Robin, 2021. "Validating a theoretical model of citizens’ trust in tourism development," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    3. James Tilley & Christopher Wlezien, 2008. "Does Political Information Matter? An Experimental Test Relating to Party Positions on Europe," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 56(1), pages 192-214, March.
    4. Gabor Toka & Marina Popescu, 2009. "Public Television, Private Television and Citizens' Political Knowledge," EUI-RSCAS Working Papers 66, European University Institute (EUI), Robert Schuman Centre of Advanced Studies (RSCAS).
    5. Dubey, Subodh & Sharma, Ishant & Mishra, Sabyasachee & Cats, Oded & Bansal, Prateek, 2022. "A General Framework to Forecast the Adoption of Novel Products: A Case of Autonomous Vehicles," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 63-95.
    6. Simon Richter & Sebastian Stier, 2022. "Learning about the unknown Spitzenkandidaten: The role of media exposure during the 2019 European Parliament elections," European Union Politics, , vol. 23(2), pages 309-329, June.
    7. Per Adman & Per Strömblad, 2018. "Political Integration in Practice: Explaining a Time-Dependent Increase in Political Knowledge among Immigrants in Sweden," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 6(3), pages 248-259.
    8. Jeffrey E. Cohen, 2018. "The Historical Memory of American Presidents in the Mass Public," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-14, March.
    9. Nunkoo, Robin, 2015. "Tourism development and trust in local government," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 623-634.
    10. Marcel Garz, 2012. "Job Insecurity Perceptions and Media Coverage of Labor Market Policy," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 33(4), pages 528-544, December.
    11. Francesca Pagliara & Massimo Aria & Lucia Russo & Valentina Della Corte, 2021. "A theoretical model linking the development of the transportation system with citizens' trust in government actors," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 100(1), pages 273-285, February.
    12. Joshua C. Hall & Christopher Shultz & E. Frank Stephenson, 2018. "The political economy of local fracking bans," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 42(2), pages 397-408, April.
    13. Matt Guardino & Suzanne Mettler, 2020. "Revealing the “Hidden welfare state†: How policy information influences public attitudes about tax expenditures," Journal of Behavioral Public Administration, Center for Experimental and Behavioral Public Administration, vol. 3(1).
    14. Subodh Dubey & Ishant Sharma & Sabyasachee Mishra & Oded Cats & Prateek Bansal, 2021. "A General Framework to Forecast the Adoption of Novel Products: A Case of Autonomous Vehicles," Papers 2109.06169, arXiv.org.
    15. Jason Barabas & Jennifer Jerit, 2009. "Estimating the Causal Effects of Media Coverage on Policy‐Specific Knowledge," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 53(1), pages 73-89, January.
    16. Cecilie Gaziano, 2014. "Components of the Belief Gap," SAGE Open, , vol. 4(1), pages 21582440135, January.

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