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Can policy forums overcome echo chamber effects by enabling policy learning? Evidence from the Irish climate change policy network

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 October 2018

Paul M. Wagner  and
Tuomas Ylä-Anttila
Paul M. Wagner*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social Sciences, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, Finland
Tuomas Ylä-Anttila
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social Sciences, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, Finland
*
*Corresponding author. Email: paul.wagner.1@ucdconnect.ie
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Abstract

Research has repeatedly shown that individuals and organisations tend to obtain information from others whose beliefs are similar to their own, forming “echo chambers” with their network ties. Echo chambers are potentially harmful for evidence-based policymaking as they can hinder policy learning and consensus building. Policy forums could help alleviate the effects of echo chambers if organisations with different views were to participate and to use the opportunities that forums provide to learn from those outside their networks. Applying exponential random graph models on survey data of the Irish climate change policy network, we find that policy actors do indeed tend to obtain policy advice from those whose beliefs are similar to their own. We also find that actors tend not to obtain policy advice from the those that they encounter at policy forums, suggesting forums are not enabling policy learning.

Keywords

climate changeecho chambersforumsIrelandpolicy learningpolicy networks
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Public Policy , Volume 40 , Issue 2 , June 2020 , pp. 194 - 211
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2018

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