A model of public opinion management

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt

Standard

A model of public opinion management. / Patacconi, Andrea; Vikander, Nicholas Edward.

I: Journal of Public Economics, Bind 128, 2015, s. 73-83.

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt

Harvard

Patacconi, A & Vikander, NE 2015, 'A model of public opinion management', Journal of Public Economics, bind 128, s. 73-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2015.05.002

APA

Patacconi, A., & Vikander, N. E. (2015). A model of public opinion management. Journal of Public Economics, 128, 73-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2015.05.002

Vancouver

Patacconi A, Vikander NE. A model of public opinion management. Journal of Public Economics. 2015; 128:73-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2015.05.002

Author

Patacconi, Andrea ; Vikander, Nicholas Edward. / A model of public opinion management. I: Journal of Public Economics. 2015 ; Bind 128. s. 73-83.

Bibtex

@article{7495588a330844f89c6d4e1383e7853b,
title = "A model of public opinion management",
abstract = "Policymakers often motivate their decisions using information collected by government agencies. While more information can help hold the government to account, it may also give policymakers an incentive to meddle with the work of bureaucrats. This paper develops a model of biased information gathering to examine how different disclosure rules and the degree of independence of government agencies affect citizen welfare. Disclosure rules and agency independence interact in subtle ways. We find that secrecy is never optimal and yet insulating the agency from political pressure, so that its information is always unbiased, may also not be socially optimal. A biased information-gathering process can benefit the government by helping it to shape public opinion. But it can also benefit the public, by curbing the government's tendency to implement its ex ante favored policy, thus mitigating the agency conflict between policymakers and the public.",
author = "Andrea Patacconi and Vikander, {Nicholas Edward}",
note = "JEL classification: D73; H11; H56",
year = "2015",
doi = "10.1016/j.jpubeco.2015.05.002",
language = "English",
volume = " 128",
pages = "73--83",
journal = "Journal of Public Economics",
issn = "0047-2727",
publisher = "Elsevier",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - A model of public opinion management

AU - Patacconi, Andrea

AU - Vikander, Nicholas Edward

N1 - JEL classification: D73; H11; H56

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - Policymakers often motivate their decisions using information collected by government agencies. While more information can help hold the government to account, it may also give policymakers an incentive to meddle with the work of bureaucrats. This paper develops a model of biased information gathering to examine how different disclosure rules and the degree of independence of government agencies affect citizen welfare. Disclosure rules and agency independence interact in subtle ways. We find that secrecy is never optimal and yet insulating the agency from political pressure, so that its information is always unbiased, may also not be socially optimal. A biased information-gathering process can benefit the government by helping it to shape public opinion. But it can also benefit the public, by curbing the government's tendency to implement its ex ante favored policy, thus mitigating the agency conflict between policymakers and the public.

AB - Policymakers often motivate their decisions using information collected by government agencies. While more information can help hold the government to account, it may also give policymakers an incentive to meddle with the work of bureaucrats. This paper develops a model of biased information gathering to examine how different disclosure rules and the degree of independence of government agencies affect citizen welfare. Disclosure rules and agency independence interact in subtle ways. We find that secrecy is never optimal and yet insulating the agency from political pressure, so that its information is always unbiased, may also not be socially optimal. A biased information-gathering process can benefit the government by helping it to shape public opinion. But it can also benefit the public, by curbing the government's tendency to implement its ex ante favored policy, thus mitigating the agency conflict between policymakers and the public.

U2 - 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2015.05.002

DO - 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2015.05.002

M3 - Journal article

VL - 128

SP - 73

EP - 83

JO - Journal of Public Economics

JF - Journal of Public Economics

SN - 0047-2727

ER -

ID: 144779723