The contours of the invented state

Abstract

Abstract This chapter investigates the contours of the invented state: widespread misperceptions about public policy. It explores how policy misperceptions can arise both from visible, explicit misinformation and from invisible, complex cognitive processes. The chapter first uses an interview approach, drawing on open-ended discussions with 40 Americans to identify common incorrect factual beliefs that people spontaneously invoke to justify and explain their opinions. Data from these interviews inform a representative survey showing that substantial numbers of Americans hold fundamental misperceptions about how government functions, on issues ranging from Social Security to the national debt. In addition, many of these misperceptions transcend party lines and are held by large numbers of both Democrats and Republicans.