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Fact-Finding in Social Networks

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  • Boris Ginzburg

Abstract

This paper models voters who invest effort to determine whether a particular claim relevant to their voting choices is correct. If a voter succeeds in determining whether the claim is correct, this information is shared via a social network. I show that increased connectivity makes voters more informed about basic facts, but less informed about complicated issues. At the same time, polarization makes voters less informed overall.

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  • Boris Ginzburg, 2025. "Fact-Finding in Social Networks," Papers 2509.15454, arXiv.org.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2509.15454
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Pogorelskiy, Kirill & Shum, Matthew, 2019. "News We Like to Share: How News Sharing on Social Networks Influences Voting Outcomes," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 427, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    2. Justin P. Johnson & David P. Myatt, 2006. "On the Simple Economics of Advertising, Marketing, and Product Design," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(3), pages 756-784, June.
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