Working Paper: NBER ID: w15916
Authors: Matthew Gentzkow; Jesse M. Shapiro
Abstract: We use individual and aggregate data to ask how the Internet is changing the ideological segregation of the American electorate. Focusing on online news consumption, offline news consumption, and face-to-face social interactions, we define ideological segregation in each domain using standard indices from the literature on racial segregation. We find that ideological segregation of online news consumption is low in absolute terms, higher than the segregation of most offline news consumption, and significantly lower than the segregation of face-to-face interactions with neighbors, co-workers, or family members. We find no evidence that the Internet is becoming more segregated over time.
Keywords: ideological segregation; internet; media consumption; political polarization
JEL Codes: D83; L86
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| internet usage (L96) | ideological segregation (P39) |
| online news consumption (L86) | ideological segregation (P39) |
| offline media (L82) | ideological segregation (P39) |
| site selection (R53) | ideological exposure (P39) |
| cross-visiting (Y80) | ideological exposure (P39) |
| internet usage (L96) | ideological exposure (P39) |