The Effects of Information Environment Restrictions on Support for Government
Abstract
The information age has spawned debate over how much control, if any, should be exercised by a nation state over its information environment (IE). How does a nation state's control over its IE impact domestic support for the state? Analyzing data drawn from cross-national surveys combined with press and internet freedom levels for 29 nation states revealed that there are advantages and disadvantages to controlling an IE depending on the perceptions being measured. Domestic audiences in highly restricted IEs are more willing to support externally focused state narratives framed against outside threats and actors. These same audiences tend to be more skeptical when it comes to supporting state narratives regarding internal conditions of the state itself. This is due in part to domestic audiences perceiving states as self-interested. The evidence indicates that coercive controls tend to increase this perception. Conversely, states with less restricted IEs are not as effective in rallying their populations against outside threats, but they are more successful in advancing positive narratives concerning internal state conditions. This study provides a new theoretical and empirical approach to understanding domestic effects of IE restrictions, pointing toward important weaknesses in the stances of authoritarian governments, and highlighting lines of effort than can enable more effective achievement of strategic priorities.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1164911
Entities
People
- Travis M. Florio
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School