Policy misperceptions and competence

Abstract

Abstract This chapter presents the results of an experiment designed to systematically assess the effects of exposure to corrective information about existing policy across a range of issues and for a range of opinions. The chapter shows that exposure to corrective information about existing policy is effective at reducing misperceptions and increases approval of existing policies. In addition, analyses of open-ended responses suggest that providing information about current policy can alter which aspects of that policy are most salient for people, including what they prioritize changing and what they prefer to keep as is. These results suggest that the invented state does indeed have downstream effects on attitudes.