The Sources of Immigration (Mis)Information Shared by U.S. Political Elites

• In Event: The Effects of Framing, Media, and Rhetoric on Immigration Attitudes

Abstract

What information do political elites share about immigrants and immigration policies? Immigration remains one of the most salient and divisive issue areas in American politics. While past work evaluates the effect of factual information provision on individuals’ attitudes, we know little about what relevant information is provided, and to what extent individuals are exposed to misinformation regarding immigration. Political elites play a crucial role in distributing and communicating information about important policy areas. To fill this gap, we examine the information political elites distribute about immigration. Using the posts and external links members of Congress share on their Facebook pages, we find a large variation in the frequency of immigration-relevant misinformation shared across the two parties that has increased over time.

Authors

• Junghyun Lim, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Kevin T Greene, Princeton University