Political economy of attention

Patrick Balles, Ulrich Matter and Alois Stutzer

Chapter 82 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Public Choice, 2025, pp 599-606 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter provides an overview of the general mechanisms underlying the political economy of attention and reviews their empirical relevance. The focus is on exogenous attention stimuli disseminated by the media and how they help voters hold their politicians accountable. It discusses both general shifts in political coverage and short-term fluctuations (unexpected vs. anticipated) and how these trigger behavioral responses from political actors. Finally, it examines institutional determinants of attention stimuli to politics, including press freedom, government transparency regulations, and the increasing competitive pressures on traditional media driven by new digital media.

Keywords: Accountability; Attention; Representative democracy; Re-election; Media (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781802207743
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