Partisan Involvement and Selective Exposure

Abstract

This chapter investigates whether partisan selective exposure affects, or is affected by, partisan involvement. It shows that partisan selective exposure is related to all sorts of important political outcomes. Partisan selective exposure predicts political participation, the commitment to vote for a candidate, and political polarization. Though selective exposure may be a component of the “limited media effects tradition,” it does seem to have an effect. When citizens select news media sharing their political leanings, these outlets motivate citizens to participate in politics and to intensify their political attitudes. At the same time, those who are committed to voting for a candidate early in the campaign and those who hold polarized political attitudes are attracted to likeminded media outlets. There also is evidence that for some, likeminded media use can lead to a stronger commitment to vote for a candidate and that political participation can inspire likeminded media use.