Does issue importance predict learning about candidates?

Author(s):
Robison, J.
Published
2020
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor

Abstract

A long-standing argument is that policy voting is more likely on issues the voter considers subjectively important. However, existing evidence is highly mixed. We leverage panel data from the 2008-2009 ANES Panel to investigate the relationship between subjective issue importance and a key mechanism thought to link it and policy voting: candidate knowledge. Using both lagged dependent variable and fixed effect models we find little evidence that subjective issue importance predicts candidate knowledge or learning. Our results suggest that one reason for lack of consensus about whether subjective issue importance moderates policy voting is the lack of a clear connection between it and this important mediator. Our results thus point to the need of stronger measures for subjective issue importance

Date issued
2020-12-14
Language
English
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Is part of
International Journal of Public Opinion Research (2020), No. 4
Advanced publication
Yes
hdl
1887/3133544
doi
10.1093/ijpor/edaa025