This study investigates how government politicians strategically communicate about economic conditions and crime to voters.
Research Design
Combining over 110,000 US city press releases with granular economic and crime data reveals a nuanced communication strategy. Local politicians selectively discuss performance metrics based on their current standing.
What We Found
Using causal analysis, we demonstrate that:
- Politicians are significantly more likely to mention both economic conditions AND crime when local performance is improving (better wages, lower crime rates).
- This communication strategy varies systematically with actual performance outcomes.
Why It Matters
The findings directly challenge the assumption that democratic accountability relies solely on voters' independent information gathering. These results highlight a potentially significant strategic manipulation in how politicians present government performance to citizens.
