This study challenges traditional views of foreign policy opinion formation. Instead of relying solely on elite cues, it argues that ordinary citizens' opinions are significantly shaped by their social networks.
Survey Experiment Findings: Across five experiments with diverse datasets and countries, peer influence proved at least as strong as political elite influence in shaping public attitudes toward international affairs.
Key Data Sources: Five survey experiment studies utilizing various national contexts provided empirical evidence for this alternative model.
General Population Views: Ordinary citizens possess robust principles guiding their foreign policy judgments despite potential information gaps.
This research suggests a fundamental shift away from top-down models, emphasizing the importance of social embeddedness in understanding public opinion about matters of international significance.
