Elites' Self-Explanations Fail When Others Hint at Hidden Motives

Holding elected officials accountable is crucial, but their explanations often fall short. This article reveals a key limitation in the literature on elite explanation giving.

New Findings:

• We show that explanations from elites are ineffective against counter-explanations highlighting ulterior motives.︎
• Even low-credibility partisan sources can diminish the impact of these official accounts.︎
• These results suggest elected officials have less leeway in actions than previously thought.︎

Experimental Design:

• Our work employs three pre-registered survey experiments to demonstrate this finding.︎

The Puzzle:

This research underscores a tension: while elites offer explanations, citizens often suspect hidden agendas.︎