Explaining Political Knowledge in a Multi-Level Political System

• In Event: Information and Political Knowledge

Abstract

This paper represents one of the first efforts to understand how political knowledge works in a multi-level system in which citizens have incentives to learn about and understand different levels of government. The traditional approach to political knowledge conceptualizes knowledge as a public choice problem in which citizens have finite time and energy and must have sufficient incentive to dedicate time toward being knowledgeable about politics. While a useful framework, this approach and much of the subsequent research has focused solely on knowledge about national politics. However, in a multi-level system such as the United States, citizens presumably have both responsibilities and incentives to be knowledgeable about local and state politics. The question then becomes, if one is only willing to dedicate so much time to learning about politics, where do they place their energies? This paper argues that perceived issue salience and perceptions of policy responsibility explain any trade-offs that might exist between local, state, and national knowledge. If an individual perceives that the local government is responsible for the issue to which they assign the greatest importance, they are more likely to know more about local government and may know less about state and national government as a consequence. This paper utilizes original survey data conducted across 12 U.S. cities to test these expectations.

Authors

• Nicholas J. Clark, Susquehanna University

• Todd Makse, Florida International University