How Partisanship Affects the Acquisition of Political Information for US Voters

• In Event: The Limitations of Modern Democracy

Abstract

Despite informed citizens are quite important in modern democracy, it remains unclear whether partisanship encourages or discourages the acquisition of political information. This paper offers a test of two rival theoretical traditions regarding the relationship between partisanship and the acquisition of political information: rational choice theory and social identity theory. Using the 2020 American Perspectives Survey data, this study provides substantial support for social identity theory. The motivation of informed voters is more likely to be a sense of social identity, rather than pure rationality or cost calculation. It shows that partisanship has positive relationship with voters’ closeness to political news. In addition, both Democrats and Republicans are more likely to follow political news closely than Independents. Moreover, the more strength a voter’s partisanship has, the more motivation the voter obtains to acquire political news. These findings have rich implications for studies of modern democracy and informed citizens in general, and partisanship in democratic countries in particular.

Author

• Tianhui Wu, University of Iowa