Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T15:07:59.319Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Partisan elites shape citizens' economic beliefs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 August 2018

Martin Bisgaard
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. [email protected]@ps.au.dkhttps://mbisgaard.github.io/https://ps.au.dk/en/slothuus
Rune Slothuus
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. [email protected]@ps.au.dkhttps://mbisgaard.github.io/https://ps.au.dk/en/slothuus

Abstract

Competition between political parties is a fundamental feature of democratic politics, but it is underplayed in the target article. We argue that a more comprehensive understanding of “folk-economic beliefs” (FEBs) must consider the ability of partisan elites to both shape citizens' economic beliefs and connect them to political choices. We review recent empirical findings supporting this theoretical perspective.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aldrich, J. H. (2011) Why parties? A second look. University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Bisgaard, M. (2015) Bias will find a way: Economic perceptions, attributions of blame, and partisan-motivated reasoning during crisis. The Journal of Politics 77(3):849–60.Google Scholar
Bisgaard, M. & Slothuus, R. (2018a) How powerful are political parties in shaping public opinion? Evidence from two quasi-experiments. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, April 5–8, 2018.Google Scholar
Bisgaard, M. & Slothuus, R. (2018b) Partisan elites as culprits? How party cues shape partisan perceptual gaps. American Journal of Political Science 62(2):456–69. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12349.Google Scholar
Dalton, R. J., Farrell, D. M. & McAllister, I. (2011) Political parties and democratic linkage: How parties organize democracy. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Druckman, J. N., Peterson, E. & Slothuus, R. (2013) How elite partisan polarization affects public opinion formation. American Political Science Review 107(1):5779.Google Scholar
Leeper, T. J. & Slothuus, R. (2014) Political parties, motivated reasoning, and public opinion formation. Political Psychology 35(S1):129156. Advances in Political Psychology Series.Google Scholar
Petersen, M. B., Slothuus, R. & Togeby, L. (2010) Political parties and value consistency in public opinion formation. Public Opinion Quarterly 27(2):158–77.Google Scholar
Slothuus, R. (2010) When can political parties lead public opinion? Evidence from a natural experiment. Political Communication 27(2):158–77.Google Scholar
Slothuus, R. & de Vreese, C. H. (2010) Political parties, motivated reasoning, and issue framing effects. Journal of Politics 72(3):630–45.Google Scholar
Sniderman, P. M. & Bullock, J. (2004) A consistency theory of public opinion and political choice: The hypothesis of menu dependence. In: Studies in public opinion, ed. Saris, W. E. & Sniderman, P. M., pp. 337–57. Princeton University Press.Google Scholar