Public Opinion, Emerging Technologies, and Foreign Policy Attitudes

• In Event: Drones in International Relations

Abstract

Foreign policy is a perpetually low salience issue for voters. Yet emerging technologies are upending public opinion toward foreign affairs by making modern warfare salient to the public in small but tangible doses. We experimentally test two distinct mechanisms by which emerging technologies increase the salience and certainty of foreign policy attitudes. The first is a participatory mechanism. The decentralization of technological prowess generates conditions in which the public can directly engage with international security issues. The second is an exposure mechanism. The proliferation of emerging technologies exposes the public to security threats that once would have occurred behind the military veil. To test these mechanisms, we conduct a survey experiment that engages voters in immersive experiences relating to cybersecurity and aerial drones. Results confirm that mounting public interaction with emerging technologies is compelling voters to formulate stronger, clearer, and more independent foreign policy positions.

Authors

• Ryan Shandler

• Kerry Chavez, U.S. Air Force Academy