Why Do Partisan Audience Participate? Perceived Public Opinion as the Mediating Mechanism

• In Event: Partisanship, Polarization, and Participation

Abstract

The bulk of current literature on partisan media explores its various detrimental influences on the democratic sphere. This study highlights a possible positive outcome of partisan-media consumption: enhanced political participation. It is hypothesized that consumption of attitude-consistent partisan media will tilt perceptions of opinion climate so that it is viewed as more supportive of one’s views, while consumption of counter-attitudinal partisan media – as less so. Consequently, consumers of attitude-consistent partisan media will participate at a higher extent, and vice versa. The hypotheses were tested using two panel studies; the first conducted during the 2012 U.S. presidential elections (N=377) while the second, during the 2013 Israeli election (N=340). In the Israeli case, survey data were supplemented with behavioral measures. All hypotheses were supported except the one regarding the effects of counter-attitudinal partisan-media exposure. The results are discussed in light of the spiral of silence theory and the selective exposure hypothesis

Authors

• Shira Dvir-Gvirsman, Tel Aviv U

• R. Kelly Garrett, Ohio State U

• Yariv Tsfati, U of Haifa