The Influence of Social Networks and Homophily on Correct Voting

21 Pages Posted: 19 Feb 2013 Last revised: 15 Mar 2013

See all articles by Alison C. Watts

Alison C. Watts

Southern Illinois University - Department of Economics

Date Written: February 2013

Abstract

There is empirical evidence suggesting that a person's family, friends, or social ties influence who a person votes for. Sokhey and McClurg (2012) find that as political disagreement in a person's social network increases, then a person is less likely to vote correctly. We develop a model where voters have different favorite policies and wish to vote correctly for the candidate who's favorite policy is closest to their own. Voters have beliefs about each candidate's favorite policy which may or may not be correct. Voters update their beliefs about political candidates based on who their conservative and liberal social ties are supporting. We find that if everyone's social network consists only of those most like themselves, then correct voting is almost always stable; thus political agreement in one's social network facilitates correct voting. We also give conditions under which correct voting is stable for networks exhibiting homophily and for networks exhibiting random social interactions.

Keywords: social networks, correct voting

JEL Classification: D72, D85

Suggested Citation

Watts, Alison C., The Influence of Social Networks and Homophily on Correct Voting (February 2013). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2220375 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2220375

Alison C. Watts (Contact Author)

Southern Illinois University - Department of Economics ( email )

Carbondale, IL 62901
United States

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