Does exposure to cues influence legislative positions? Two field experiments investigated this question within a state legislature's naturally occurring communication network. The results show that randomly assigned information treatments spread through these networks, affecting policy stances significantly late in the process. This finding aligns with classic studies of self-selected expert networks but extends them by demonstrating diffusion occurs even when cues are introduced into endogenous political discussions.
| Is Position-Taking Contagious? Evidence of Cue-Taking from Two Field Experiments in a State Legislature was authored by Adam Zelizer. It was published by Cambridge in APSR in 2019. |
