This letter compares factual belief polarization between government officials and the American public.
Data & Methods: Using a paired survey approach across politically contentious topics.
Key Findings: Officials are consistently more factually accurate than citizens. However, this accuracy doesn't reduce their partisan polarization on facts.
Why It Matters: It suggests that simply having better information won't bridge the gap between elite and public beliefs in US politics.
The study highlights a persistent challenge: even when elites have superior factual knowledge, they remain just as polarized on politically contested issues. This finding challenges assumptions about how greater political knowledge might align beliefs across different groups.
