New Insight: Higher turnout doesn't necessarily mean less-informed voters.
This article challenges the assumption that mobilizing non-voters reduces political knowledge among active participants. Using a city-wide field experiment, we demonstrate an unexpected link between voting encouragement and information acquisition.
The Experiment: We integrated intensive voter mobilization into our panel survey tracking citizens before and after an election. Subjects receiving motivational support for voting were significantly more informed about the campaign topics.
Key Finding: Mobilized individuals actively sought out political information, proving that participation drives knowledge gain.
Implications: Institutions aiming to increase turnout should recognize this secondary benefit - boosting engagement also encourages citizens to become better-informed. This finding suggests a virtuous cycle where mobilization leads not only to higher voting but also enhances democratic quality.
| If You Mobilize Them, They Will Become Informed: Experimental Evidence That Information Acquisition Is Endogenous to Costs and Incentives to Participate was authored by Victoria Shineman. It was published by Cambridge in BJPS in 2018. |
