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Do political yard signs actually do anything?

Do political yard signs actually do anything?

Released Friday, 12th April 2024
 1 person rated this episode
Do political yard signs actually do anything?

Do political yard signs actually do anything?

Do political yard signs actually do anything?

Do political yard signs actually do anything?

Friday, 12th April 2024
 1 person rated this episode
Rate Episode

Episode Transcript

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2:24

Hello! Hi When

2:26

the great thing is messed up over

2:29

here arms try to fix it or

2:31

why? Oh okay,

2:33

can you hear it? He has.

2:36

Earlier this week assigned to a certain

2:38

in the surname Sarah he okay boys

2:40

asking people to send in questions for

2:42

the show. The thing I should warn

2:44

you of listener she did as. A

2:47

make higher follow ups. Where are we

2:49

talking about? Where are you? I'm in my

2:51

car. Outside of

2:54

a library. I come here

2:56

to use their Why Fi while my kid

2:58

is at their little. Montessori.

3:00

Preschool program. Oh that's

3:02

really nice. Sarah. Woods and

3:04

had a New York we're talking Monday when

3:07

everybody smalltalk have been orbiting the same topic

3:09

what are you doing for the Eclipses I.

3:12

I don't know actually because the eclipse

3:14

is during nap time my kidnaps early

3:16

release so I don't Yeah I don't

3:19

know what we're gonna do. I guess

3:21

I can like look outside and with

3:23

intuit a half year old that a

3:25

close out a reason to rouse a

3:27

child. Or. Absolutely not about

3:29

the upper, upper, upper. Haight.

3:36

So tell me what is your

3:38

question? Yes, the my question is

3:40

what's going on with these yard

3:42

signs I'd like to do. They

3:45

work and wire. There's so many.

3:47

Of them. And when you say

3:49

yards as you me like vote for blah

3:51

blah blah like the Political Yard said, Uma

3:54

A Political Yard. Signs of that. This

3:56

came up last year which was just local

3:58

elections, but we had a. Very

4:00

contentious District Attorney election.

4:03

And it was just ridiculous. The

4:05

number of signs, In

4:07

her email to the show sir had

4:09

said that this question that had come

4:11

up a few times when talking to

4:14

her friends and family in particular her

4:16

mom was going upset about the signs

4:18

towards rage was used and how did

4:20

you the old saying a yards as

4:22

you feel any way about them. I

4:25

feel like it's a lot of visual. Clutter.

4:29

Like I'm I'm a visual artist and so

4:31

I pay attention to what I'm seeing out

4:33

in the world. And it just seemed like there were

4:35

a lot. There. Would be for signs

4:37

for one of the candidates and then a

4:40

little bit later like there before or

4:42

for the other candidate to. And now it's

4:44

like is it cancelling them out What's

4:46

happening here. Yeah I've driven in

4:48

neighborhoods were like you can feel like

4:50

visually you're seeing like a noisy or

4:52

even the happening and it's sort of

4:55

unpleasant Yes and it starts to feel

4:57

like is this. Is this

4:59

something that we're doing? I don't

5:01

know. like it's a tradition or

5:03

is it like sports? Where

5:06

people are like really into their team?

5:08

Oh so the question is like does

5:11

is haven't actually guilty or is this

5:13

about like people signaling what tried? They're.

5:16

Totally yelling are we doing? Nothing has is

5:18

actually use or like should I be putting.

5:20

Signs in my yard. Is this

5:22

actually saying that sending mine or

5:24

is this is something that people

5:26

are doing because. That's what they've always

5:29

done and it feels like you're doing

5:31

something. There you're just being the math says.

5:35

right? And what's your suspicion? that

5:38

I'm just nothing about my personality?

5:40

Lends. Itself. Like I

5:42

always indoors you get a political yards I'd

5:45

like. I'd just like is nothing is where

5:47

opposite of my feelings about the world the

5:49

like. I. Always assumed that

5:51

they don't work and I've never driven by

5:53

of and like oh wait. Davis. For

5:56

comptroller I guess that's what I'm doing. Plate

5:58

I feel like your squeezes a dirt. Not

6:00

doing something. My suspicion is that

6:02

they're not doing something. Yes, He

6:07

said i don't even know you would

6:09

get one. So my neighbor Ah is

6:11

one of the people that gives them

6:13

out the see her reports like sees

6:15

one of the Chatham Democrats is a

6:17

very into best. She's very involved politically

6:19

and so. Caesar. At like a

6:22

location that people com. To pick up

6:24

signs for our local representative. And

6:27

so I think it's maybe more on my

6:29

mind because of that, you say right

6:31

by the speaker of a big ass, the

6:33

i'm like I'm I'm near a distribution center

6:36

for this, the thing that's happening and I'm

6:38

wondering. Should. I be putting

6:40

signs on my yard because if it

6:42

did make a difference. Like. It's

6:44

a pretty low. Effort

6:46

Saying. I don't know. Are

6:49

you go over whether we could write out. After

6:56

these ads, a series of experiments

6:58

plus a mysterious fellow named and

7:00

Griffin you may have heard of.

7:05

That after the break. He

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8:20

Cindy can dress and experimental. Research lab

8:23

at Vanderbilt for work. focuses on political

8:25

psychology and public opinion. Wings see drives

8:27

past the odd yard sign the way

8:30

a geologist my pick up an unusual

8:32

conglomerate rock before doctors him started studying

8:34

art science says he wondered about them

8:36

in very much the same way. or

8:39

us or Sarah had. As

8:43

a typical American in L,

8:45

I thought yard signs pop

8:47

up around election time. Yeah,

8:50

I was pregnant with my

8:52

son's in two thousand and

8:54

ten and there was a

8:56

very noisy election happening in

8:58

my area. Between the. Candidates

9:02

whose last name was Henry

9:04

and he had signs everywhere.

9:06

Everyone knew that Henry was

9:09

running for election. And. There

9:11

was sort of a no name Salazar

9:13

to was trying to unseat Henry. Well

9:15

Henry one. Now he was it. In

9:18

some bet he had tons assigns. The

9:20

a couple months later I gave birth

9:22

to my son and his name was

9:25

Century. Did. Was

9:27

did the yard signs beam your sun. Sets

9:30

I think is one of these

9:32

things where you start to see

9:34

a name and it becomes more

9:36

familiar to you. It is more

9:38

pleasant and he a test or

9:40

liking it. So I just

9:42

like what I hear you saying is

9:45

the theory of the Yard Sign his

9:47

name or suspicion? Correct. So

9:51

the psychological process as called

9:53

perceptual fluency for substances. You

9:55

know the first time you

9:57

hear a song that he

9:59

thing. A lot of a good

10:01

fan and. Then. You hear it again and

10:03

you hear it again and it becomes

10:06

much easier for you to listen to

10:08

it via perceptual fluency. means that the

10:10

more you're exposed to something, the more

10:13

familiar it becomes. And before you have

10:15

a net, you like it. Talking.

10:18

To doctors and become a nurse. How

10:20

essential he says. A student of the

10:22

lease, rational parts her mines. The.

10:25

Birds we might call our gut instinct

10:27

but which are usually really as possible

10:29

said ourselves. To. Believe we know

10:31

something. we don't actually know it all. I.

10:34

Was curious how she figured out a

10:37

method for studying this particular question. You.

10:39

Can't run the same? Listen twice: You're not going

10:42

to been some city councilor to not use yard

10:44

signs so that you can learn a little bit

10:46

more about the world. There.

10:48

Will be a concrete answer to this

10:50

yard signs question, but before that, I

10:53

just appreciate the process of getting their

10:55

how doctor. Cheerfully. Methodically

10:57

devices ways to measure

10:59

human irrationality. Well

11:02

that's one of the fun about

11:04

being a political scientist is that

11:06

we get to think creatively as

11:09

that ways to get at our

11:11

questions in multiple ways to their

11:13

hearts. And some political scientists who

11:16

has collaborated with campaigns and decided

11:18

to randomly closed. Yard.

11:20

Signs in one district versus another

11:23

for example, or in one neighborhood

11:25

versus another, and they are able

11:28

to then estimate how effective that

11:30

yard soon as. That

11:32

is a be a presley

11:34

tet now. My colleague live set

11:37

Nicer and I are political

11:39

psychologists so given we wanted to

11:41

study the psychological processes. We

11:44

went to our laboratory. Is

11:49

one in the lab. So

11:52

the background for our study

11:54

comes from the psychological tradition.

11:56

There are these really interesting

11:58

psychological studies that has so

12:00

for example that. His.

12:03

Research subjects are asked to read

12:05

a random list of names on

12:07

one day. Then

12:10

they come back the next day. And

12:12

they are asked to look at

12:14

a bunch of different names Analysts

12:17

They decide that the ones that.

12:19

Seem kind of the million to them.

12:22

Must be famous. Said. That

12:24

called the fall semester so

12:26

we have the sense that

12:28

you know being exposed to

12:31

things right and downs of

12:33

subsequent to scissors. Okay, the

12:35

counter or brother sort of like the

12:37

argument against this idea would be. If

12:40

I believe as a totally rational, fully informed

12:42

person was I, I know that they can

12:44

be either that or Juri. But if I

12:46

were. The idea that

12:48

a politician as well known would not

12:50

be reasonable for them because when my

12:52

rational mind the tell his debut on

12:54

on for anything. most politicians at least

12:56

on a local level are well known

12:58

like it shouldn't matter where you're testing

13:01

other does. Guess so

13:03

in an idealized democracy citizens

13:05

are all now and developed

13:07

as much time as they

13:10

can to been coming fully

13:12

informed or when it comes

13:14

time to vote one they

13:17

turn out and to they

13:19

cast slowly informed that that

13:21

are consistent say with underlying

13:24

value or policy preferences. So

13:26

that says he's hoping we did not

13:28

live in a live on an idealized

13:30

Mcafee. You're measuring what we have and

13:32

what do you what? what happens. So.

13:35

Instead of imagining you know this

13:37

paradise. We. Want to know

13:39

in the real world what happens. But. Before

13:41

we get to the real world, we want to Now.

13:44

In. The Laboratory can we capture

13:46

a psychological. Processes. The

13:49

funny thing about our said he is that we

13:52

exposed people to names. That we

13:54

did it subliminally. How do you do that?

13:56

Our research subjects are seated in front

13:58

of a computer. Hey

14:01

I told you will see some

14:03

words or it matters Flash and

14:05

son of you. Ignore those. This

14:07

is as part of the Fall.

14:11

So they're off to just

14:13

watch the screen for about

14:15

thirty seconds. Instead that

14:17

thirty seconds, they are randomly

14:19

assigned to receive a nonsensical

14:21

set of letters. Or.

14:25

Alone. Food. So.

14:27

Our candidates name is Ben Griffin. We

14:29

selected this name because we wanted a

14:31

name that would not be so unusual

14:33

that people would notice that with afford

14:35

this sort of a name that seems

14:37

reasonably common. Yeah. So

14:39

in the experiment are we: For subjects

14:42

who are randomly assigned to receive the

14:44

name. They're sitting there, they're looking at

14:46

a screen and Griffin is popping up

14:49

hidden amongst a bunch of other letters

14:51

strings so that it is not visible

14:53

to you know, someone who is just

14:55

looking at the screen. It's presented subliminally

14:58

in my for a second. This. Year

15:01

later. We ask them

15:03

where political psychologists were interested.

15:05

Election: So imagine there's a

15:07

hypothetical lox and between two

15:09

candidates. There's. One candidate. Mike

15:11

Williams and other sort of this kind

15:13

of com and name. Yeah. And then

15:16

there's another candidate. His name is Ben

15:18

Garrison. Would you be willing to vote

15:20

for this candidate or the other candidates?

15:22

Have you given them any other information?

15:25

These hypothetical candidates know. In this

15:27

baseline experiment, we give them no

15:29

information and so the fully rational

15:31

person would say. I have no

15:33

idea. I have no information

15:35

and I'll flip a coin in

15:37

a we're not doing a decently rational

15:40

people So we signed a ten percentage

15:42

point increase and willingness to vote

15:44

for Ben Griffin. Him percentage

15:46

point. Correct. Intersect

15:48

and that would hold for that's a

15:51

real effect. You get ten for says

15:53

with off of I've heard the same

15:55

before. That's. Correct and people don't

15:57

know that they've heard it before. Because

16:00

it's subliminally exposed. To

16:02

they're not say themselves out this is a bank of

16:04

and who I liked or disliked. I just have a

16:06

feeling and I can explain it. That's craft.

16:09

Yes, So we have the

16:11

ceilings and a duck flying at

16:14

that. Yeah, out his name is

16:16

kind of familiar. Elena Worth hundred.

16:18

and yeah, I guess the line

16:21

of us had this guy. so

16:23

that's what we found in our

16:25

first experiment was that subliminally priming

16:28

a set of our respondents with

16:30

the last name Griffin increase their

16:32

willingness to support then Griffin and

16:35

we did follow up questions asking.

16:38

People. To distinguish between

16:40

the two candidates on

16:42

their traits spare experience,

16:45

And. Their viability. Have you given

16:47

that any information about the reasons. Given them

16:49

no information without. A.

16:55

License Ham and her colleagues asked

16:57

voters powered questions about Ben Griffin's

16:59

trades for the trades and has

17:01

made up competitors. Did better than

17:03

see more empathetic, did bends of

17:05

and see more experience. Voters.

17:08

Did not say Ben was more

17:10

experience or more empathetic to just

17:12

seemed for some reason with a

17:15

more viable candidate. Touch.

17:17

With him said, there are limits

17:19

of course to the benefits of

17:21

name recognition. Comptrollers had Bundy sentence

17:23

is unlikely to sweep. And

17:26

there are other effects They can overpower

17:28

name recognition. For. Instance doctors,

17:30

hims team rent other studies and

17:32

which voters were given more information

17:34

about these other faiths Candidates: In

17:37

these studies they were told that the

17:39

candidate namely westernized was now running against

17:41

and incumbent. A person using the didn't

17:43

know but who they were told was

17:45

already in power. In

17:47

these studies, the name recognition advantage

17:49

to the way. It

17:52

felt like the team now understood the power

17:54

and the limits of this name recognition of

17:56

fact. And the strength of a yard

17:58

sign. At least in a lab.

18:01

Now. They're ready to move onto the next

18:03

phase. Days

18:09

you. Out in the real world. Sell

18:12

Our first three studies are

18:15

the is very clean laboratory

18:17

studies with undergraduates and from

18:20

and academics standpoint. they have

18:22

high causal leverage. We can

18:25

really say that exposing people

18:27

to these subliminal primes. A

18:30

sex the road Choice or in the

18:32

case of states and three does not

18:34

affect their vote choice because they are

18:36

relying on the incumbent kids. The Up:

18:39

But the follow up question is does that

18:41

make a difference in the real world. right?

18:45

So. How do you has that? We.

18:48

Came up with a design

18:50

that exploits natural variation in

18:53

the real world among parents

18:55

who are dropping their kids

18:57

off. For. School. So what do you me was that.

19:00

There is a local

19:02

school where half of

19:04

the parents are randomly

19:06

assigned to enter the

19:08

school using say streets.

19:10

Egg. And then the

19:13

other half of this parents are

19:15

told to use. Street and beat.

19:17

oh this is just as a school

19:19

as end up with like a huge

19:21

clustered not correct oh but you can

19:23

I see they're targeting says he means

19:25

you can play yard signs on one

19:27

of these two approaches. That's right.

19:29

So we took advantage of

19:31

a schools this isn't to

19:33

manage traffic using one pass

19:35

versus another pass. Producer and of

19:38

the as a more aggressive it's a to fight

19:40

with the school was a just like someone who

19:42

was due to say you're like by the way

19:44

they have to do this for my kids Anyway

19:46

yes. I have

19:48

a very smart. Said

19:50

this is one of these days where

19:52

it's helpful to be in the real

19:55

world and be thinking about oh how

19:57

do we actually do this in the

19:59

real world And what are the ways

20:01

than one the people are assigned to

20:04

tag particular pass life them? So weird.

20:06

Why did this natural variation and we

20:08

places three yard signs for Ben Griffin

20:10

in front of a homes that happen

20:12

to be alone. One of the to.

20:15

Browse via the three times.

20:17

Stayed there for three days.

20:20

the we. Took them off

20:22

and then we launched a survey

20:24

and we included a key question

20:26

on our survey which asked the

20:28

parents which route and took to

20:30

school. And then the

20:32

included or own questions which were.

20:36

Coming City Council this.

20:39

Said the upcoming city council race

20:41

was a complicated one where I

20:43

believe they were. Eight

20:45

candidates on the ballot. We

20:48

included two additional one on

20:50

the list in our search.

20:52

Least said. here are the

20:55

candidates running for election in

20:57

the city council and then

21:00

we had our to name.

21:02

Him that. And

21:08

I'm assuming one was named Bromyard side and

21:10

what is a totally made up named it's

21:12

also for the road Bit of a one

21:14

wasn't yard signs correct. Cel. Ben.

21:17

Greyson and know sanctions. Were

21:19

inserted in the lists of

21:22

city council candidates. Spenders.

21:24

And as the person or the

21:26

name for whom we posted the

21:29

signs, notes and Kansas considered the

21:31

placebo name, we're another sickening. So.

21:36

We asked the parents in

21:38

upcoming this for city council

21:40

to are your top three

21:43

choices for city council. And

21:46

what it is that it turns. Out

21:48

that than good sense. Received

21:50

a fair offer up on

21:52

Us ally but increase among.

21:54

Those who are assigned

21:57

to take that travel

21:59

that. Go to the very

22:01

flirty effect even in the real

22:03

world. Correct ten percentage points. Ten

22:10

percentage points. Which means arrows know

22:12

Sarah from Saddam was back door

22:14

to her. Signs apply neighbor pick

22:16

up a plastic piece of junk

22:18

dammit in the soil of her

22:20

yard and assuming enough of her

22:22

friends to the same thing and

22:25

assuming it's a relatively low information

22:27

kind of election they might reasonably

22:29

hope. That is where the outcome

22:31

at Ten Percentage Points I'm sorry.

22:33

that is a strange reality to

22:35

be forced to consider. After

22:39

the break, how exactly should we

22:41

feel about that Doctor Camps interpretation?

22:44

Not at all. But

22:47

as I've. Said.

23:32

So I once knew thing I usually want

23:34

to know when I went from things: if

23:36

yard signs are powerful enough to have a

23:38

ten percentage point about how my supposed to

23:41

feel than that. I

23:44

know we don't live in a utopia

23:46

and I know that Visitors or Ben

23:48

Griffin is not the world's best city

23:50

councilor. Like the world doesn't end tomorrow.

23:52

But there's also a part of me

23:54

that is slightly. Freaked

23:57

out by the as i guess like a house with the

23:59

film. A political. Scientist

24:01

I think assassinate. Suffer

24:03

for and put it out as as it

24:05

as much. As. Well

24:08

as a citizen as in a democracy

24:11

I will say when as we have

24:13

idealize no sense of what citizens are

24:15

to do and the second as do

24:17

we wanna know the truth to the

24:20

been on a know empirically that is

24:22

how do people actually make this isn't.

24:24

Yeah any. Apps and ah of

24:27

controlling other and from a some

24:29

people do rely on no mechanism.

24:39

Some. Names over others. And

24:42

that's not something that we

24:44

do because in our studies,

24:46

we experimentally manipulate that exists.

24:51

In. The real world had some candidates

24:53

had their names out there right for

24:56

whatever reasons, that as they're doing more

24:58

to raise money, they're doing more to

25:00

reach out to candidates, they're doing more

25:02

to be out on. The Media says

25:05

it's possible that name recognition ten the

25:07

efficient and a secessionist death in the

25:09

absence of all information because As or

25:12

candidates who are very invested in the

25:14

race and who are doing their best

25:16

to get their names out there. Yeah.

25:19

I will also say though, that

25:21

there are. Yell ways that

25:23

people can learn about candidates. And

25:26

if they learn more information

25:28

about candidates, The name

25:30

or he missed some really doesn't matter. And and

25:33

when you see there are ways that people

25:35

can learn more, I assume you mean make

25:37

either they can read journalism, big wants to

25:39

babes and that in. Say

25:41

a presidential election. There's

25:44

so much information. Whether the

25:46

emergence you get bad accurate

25:48

not, you were directly making

25:50

more informed decisions. In a

25:53

license to get more attention and coverage.

25:55

Correct. My. Son's here

25:57

is that name recognition matters on the.

26:00

Margins in the absence

26:02

as. Other sources of

26:04

information. That also scissors

26:06

people are not choosing

26:08

randomly. Oh maybe that's

26:10

a minimal concerts there has a

26:13

set of the guy does about

26:15

do than simply flipping coins. People

26:17

are using their debts and some

26:19

of these guys are may be

26:21

informed by real behaviors by the

26:23

candidates and the media. Have

26:25

you seen? I mean your work has

26:27

been published. Have you seen? Political.

26:31

Campaigns own eyes were weaponize,

26:34

but. They. Have

26:36

you seen people use that the findings from

26:38

your work in the real world and awaited

26:40

either win or nebulae a license. Know

26:42

I have not. It is a few

26:44

rows like oh. If. I found a

26:46

frenzy enough election and just really

26:48

really when hard with yard signs.

26:51

It's not impossible to imagine wedding or.

26:54

Increasing. The odds. Yes, so

26:56

there is a little an

26:58

that I've heard of that

27:00

have not their aside the

27:02

athletes as in a small

27:04

northeastern town. A.

27:07

A young man decided he was

27:10

going to run. I believe it

27:12

was for something like city council.

27:15

He was interested in politics. that

27:17

either, as a sort of twenty

27:19

something, had not really have had

27:22

much experience and politics. But

27:24

his uncle was a sign maker and it

27:26

turns out he won the a Lesson. Obviously.

27:30

The search engine team, never one

27:32

to miss an opportunity to overeat

27:34

or something, tried to fact check

27:36

this fun, possibly apocryphal story. We.

27:39

Weren't able to confirm it with did results.

27:41

The politician that Cindy had heard this rumor

27:43

about, They did. I get back to us.

27:46

Perhaps. It was true and didn't want

27:48

to talk about it. Perhaps it was untrue

27:50

and they thought we were drains. Regardless,

27:53

I had gone into this interview expecting

27:56

honestly to learn that yard signs didn't

27:58

really work or rarely worse. I

28:00

still didn't know what to make a

28:03

the fact that according to Doctor Cindy

28:05

Cancer Research they have a measurable and

28:07

consistent sacked. How. Does your work

28:09

make you feel personally just about. Democracy.

28:14

And pausing because that's a really

28:16

interesting question. As empirical social scientists,

28:18

we don't really think about how

28:21

we feel about democracy. We just

28:23

want to explore how it works.

28:25

Yeah. I. Would say. It's

28:28

a healthy step forward for the

28:30

sealed not to be hung up

28:32

on idealized for sense of what

28:34

would happen. Any to tell the

28:36

yeah, but rather to think about

28:39

how ordinary people make decisions in

28:41

the context of their realize. right?

28:44

So. It's like. I mean square

28:46

I feel about democracy as. I

28:48

really like it. I really worry about it. And

28:50

it sounds like one reason that you

28:53

do the work you do is because

28:55

you're underlying belief is. If

28:57

we understand how this actually works, cited and

28:59

how it would work in a perfect world,

29:01

we decide how we feel about that. We

29:03

seem to decided for now that actually there

29:05

are elections were okay. If it's seven percentage

29:07

of the decision of who ends up in

29:09

our is just like. Yard.

29:11

Sides and because And but we could change that if

29:14

we wanted to. But we couldn't change it unless we

29:16

understood that was what was going on. He

29:18

I agree that that I think that

29:20

and. With helpless to know.

29:23

How. Did people make decisions and

29:25

then what? Or maybe some interventions

29:27

that could be made to improve

29:29

the quality of their decision making?

29:33

One. Possibility is to think about

29:36

these elections for people don't have

29:38

a lot of information and to

29:40

think plan. Is there a way

29:42

that we can provide them with

29:44

more information or to said we

29:46

reduce the burden on citizens. And.

29:49

Hadn't some of these businesses be

29:51

appointed said by people who are

29:53

elected? When voters actually do pay

29:55

attention. Oh interesting, so that

29:58

you could have a world where. Rather,

30:01

Than voting for. The.

30:03

Dog Catcher yeah maybe the dog

30:05

catcher does not have to the

30:07

someone who is on a ballot

30:10

rights one of the things that

30:12

that American electoral. Decisions.

30:14

Is that one? Whereas.

30:16

To do them a lot and

30:19

to the ballots are extremely long.

30:21

Yeah, and this is a unique

30:23

and different from the Clinton said

30:25

the rest of the world. still.

30:27

On the one hand, more democracy

30:29

seems like it's better having more

30:32

choices and more Absence yes is

30:34

more democratic. On the other hand,

30:36

there is a burden of decision

30:38

making of choice right? and sometimes

30:40

people get overwhelmed with having too

30:42

many. Choices. His interview. You're describing

30:44

a world where there's a paradox. Were him?

30:47

If you have a super abundance

30:49

of democratic choices, eventually the world

30:51

becomes less. Democratic. In

30:53

a sense of. You. Overwhelm people and

30:55

they either don't shoes are they

30:58

to somewhat randomly and the system

31:00

becomes very. Imperfect.

31:03

Yes, it is psychological phenomenon as well.

31:06

call the paradox of choice. For.

31:08

Having too much choice can be

31:10

this has signed to people can

31:12

make them adverse to Tuesday. but

31:15

on the other hand, having choice

31:17

is so classically democratic. Yeah so

31:19

it it is a real conundrum.

31:23

There's this concept of like some the

31:25

low information voters you know the person

31:27

who is I like to an obsessive

31:29

happy attention. I know that. People

31:32

who do political science use that term

31:34

descriptive late. in the world of journalism,

31:36

I suppose you're journalists use that term

31:38

pejoratively of like what What surprises me

31:41

about the way you talk about it

31:43

is that I think often. The.

31:45

Implied solution is. Everyone

31:47

just need to be a better democratic

31:49

citizen. You know people, people should spend

31:51

more time, worry about their club, whatever

31:53

and I feel like what I hear

31:56

you using your work is lake shore.

31:58

That's one way to do it for

32:00

the Rio the as it's not what

32:02

is always are often happenings and perhaps.

32:04

We might consider. Fixing

32:07

this by looking at the system are

32:09

presenting people rather than expecting human nature

32:11

to suddenly change. Yes, I

32:13

think one of the. Ways. That

32:15

we can approach. That. Are decision

32:18

making is tough to try to rehabilitate

32:20

the voter. Hurt. Or

32:22

to try to create setser that

32:24

work with food. A voter is.

32:26

I me so. One other ways to think

32:28

about this also as we encourage people to

32:31

turn out to vote that we should also

32:33

be encouraging them when they do turn out

32:35

to vote to think that you know what

32:37

are the races said I want to vote

32:39

for and it's a totally some blankets they

32:41

don't have an opinion. Myself

32:51

thinking about some his observation in

32:53

a not settled way for a

32:55

while after this conversation in America

32:57

democracies both are system of government

33:00

and an affirmative value. something all

33:02

of us minus I guess if

33:04

you pro monarchy people on subside

33:07

publicly agree is good and I

33:09

do too. So I've never asked

33:11

what's the right amount democracy or

33:14

is there an amount of democracy

33:16

and which things become the last

33:18

democratic where the wisdom. Of

33:20

the crowd becomes decreasingly ways

33:23

yards per se. A

33:25

concept I expect I'll sit with for awhile. And

33:29

a businessperson why do you think

33:31

is that the Lizard road and

33:33

he was describing how and her

33:35

family is yards eyes were provoking

33:38

wage I financial that way waiting

33:40

for sending. Somebody

33:42

victory be like i don't know there's even

33:44

appointed as and I'm mad about it that

33:47

say our politics as. A

33:50

That's a good episode. of

33:54

they users for. Tigers. Are this my

33:56

pleasure? Professor

34:03

Researcher and William are keen in junior

34:05

to your. Your

34:44

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