Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP17710
Authors: Andrea Mattozzi; Samuel Nocito; Francesco Sobbrio
Abstract: We study the reaction of national politicians to a rigorous fact-checking of their public statements. Our research design relies on a novel randomized field experiment in collaboration with a leading fact-checking company. Our results show that politicians are responsive to negative fact- checking. We observe a reduction in the number of incorrect statements made by politicians after being treated in the order of one fourth of a standard deviation. This effect persists for at least two months. We also observe a reduction in the probability of politicians making verifiable statements, suggesting that fact-checking may also increase the ambiguity of politicians’ statements.
Keywords: politicians; accountability; ambiguity
JEL Codes: D72; D78; D8; D91
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Reduction in incorrect statements (C52) | Increased ambiguity in political rhetoric (D72) |
| Fact-checking (Y10) | Reduction in incorrect statements (C52) |
| Fact-checking (Y10) | Decrease in the overall number of statements made by politicians (D72) |
| Fact-checking (Y10) | Reduced likelihood of making verifiable statements (D80) |
| Fact-checking (Y10) | Reduction in incorrect statements lasting at least eight weeks (D91) |