Political efficacy and political ideology: the role of communication in a media-rich, underdeveloped country

Abstract

Borrowing from the literature of mass communication and development and its many variations over time, a model was formulated to explain the role of mass media and interpersonal discussion on two persistent communication concerns, namely, political efficacy and political ideology. These relationships were examined in light of their possible modification or refinement based on an individual's location in the social structure. Using survey data collected in an urban area of a media-rich underdeveloped country, eleven hypotheses were tested. A structural equation technique (LISREL) demonstrated that all the hypotheses were at least partially supported, furthermore the effects of the communication variables were all fully supported. We concluded that our model, developed from literature in the United States and Third World countries, appears to have substantial external validity.