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Social Network Theory and Elections and Voting Choice

 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-05048-y

https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190228217.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780190228217-e-40

These two articles suggest that more strongly connected attitude networks have a stronger impact on behavior, particularly the attitudes and decisions in voting in elections. Within an attitude network, the most central attitude elements have the strongest impacts. This ties back into the concept discussed in class where certain spots and nodes in a network impact things such as voting and attitudes in individuals. Network structure of attitudes can also inform election campaign strategies and behavior change in the context of individuals voting in elections. Since individuals base their decisions on their attitudes, and attitudes relate to connectivity in a network, this can be used to predict and even inform where persuasion and campaigns can and will be successful. In addition, attitude networks change during elections, and heighten and grow due to newly formed elements. These attitudes and decisions can make or break an election.

Social network influence on voting choice is episodic, and occurs depending on election season, which is when people are most thinking and talking about politics and voting. In people who have not yet decided on if/who they will vote for, media and discussion in election campaigns have the potential to play a major role in making voting decisions. Social pressure and the passive absorption of cues from peers also play large roles. One of the papers examines the 1992 US presidential election, where a third party candidate, Ross Perot was running. In an individual’s social network, the more people in their discussion network that supported Ross Perot, the more likely that individual was to vote for him.

Understanding social networks and social network theory, particularly attitude networks and how attitudes in networks influence behavior, is important in larger political interactions. Elections play a major role in individual networks, which affect larger scale politics in huge countries such as the US. This concept can also be applied to other social behaviors, such as making environmentally friendly decisions, health choices, and happiness and general well being. While social networks aren’t the only factor in voting choice, they do play an important role in elections and shaping group and individual behaviors.

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