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.︎
