Many of us are very concerned about the quality of information that’s available to voters during election and referendum campaigns. Misinformation and manipulation appear to be rampant, and voters can struggle to find the information that they want from sources they trust. Few people would doubt the importance in democracy of ensuring that voters can hear a wide range of different viewpoints and that information is accurate, accessible, and relevant to people’s lives and priorities.
But is more information for voters always unambiguously a good thing? Recent research by one of our colleagues suggests not. That research is by Dr Inken von Borzyskowski, who is Lecturer in Global Policy and International Relations here at UCL, working with Patrick Kuhn from Durham University. Inken and Patrick find that, in places where electoral violence is a real possibility, having more information may actually have some serious negative side effects. And their analysis also offers a cautionary tale for the methods of political research.
Host: Dr Alan Renwick
Dr Inken von Borzyskowski
Dr Adam Harris
UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.
Should Russian Assets Be Seized?
Should Experts Set The Fiscal Rules?
The UK Healthcare Crisis
Responding to Civilian Harm in Millitary Conflicts
Do Protests Affect What Politicians Say?
Settling Disputes Between Governments and Investors
Death Threats and Online Content Moderation
Managing Diversity Amongst the EU Member States
The Battle for LGBT+ Rights
How Parliaments Question Prime Ministers
The Future of Power-Sharing in Northern Ireland
Improving Public Services
Russian Discourses of Sovereignty
Historical Research in Political Science
Climate Change Loss and Damage
'Acts of speech' and how people recieve them
The Domestic Politics of IMF Lending
The Politics of Migration
Fiscal Transparency And The Public Purse
Backyard Housing And The Dynamics Of Collective Action
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free