Feedback Loops of Influence: An Agent-Based Simulation of Media-Voter Dynamics and Political Polarization

<p>Democracy thrives on compromise. However, in recent years, growing political polarization in many countries increasingly hinders political cooperation and fuels conflict among citizens. This research proposes an agent-based theoretical framework demonstrating how the dynamic interaction between voters and an evolving media landscape influences ideological divergence at the individual level. Extending existing literature which attributes voter polarization as top-down procedure where polarization among elites shaping ideological polarization on electorates, this study theorizes that it can also emerge from the bottom-up. Specifically, I investigate how significant shifts in media market structure—characterized by increased entry of diverse media entities and enhanced individual accessibility to information—affect voter polarization. The result finds that that media market competition indeed influences voter polarization, but surprisingly, exhibits an inverse U-shaped relationship.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Political Science, PhD

Level thesis:degree_level

Restricted to Claremont Colleges Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

School of Social Science, Politics, and Evaluation

Year dc:date.available

2025

Author dc:creator

• Hwang, Young Sun

Contributors dc:contributor

• Melissa Rogers
• Carlos Algara

• Political Science

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/1077

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarship.claremont.edu:cgu_etd-2102