Review lit on opinion diffusion

[fsolt]

particularly stuff that includes policy

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@byngdeuk lists a few opinion-and-policy diffusion studies at #2 (comment)

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interesting (though possibly not relevant): Johannes Urpelainen and Alice Tianbo Zhang. 2022. "Electoral Backlash or Positive Reinforcement? Wind Power and Congressional Elections in the United States." Journal of Politics

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totally relevant: Tara Gonsalves. 2021. "Transnational Diffusion and Regional Resistance: Domestic LGBT Association Founding, 1979–2009." Social Forces 99(4):1601–1630 UIowa link

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@Tyhcass C-SoDA comments:
How is opinion in one country observable in other countries? Cultural leadership? Policy? Prominent political leaders?

Or, rather, is opinion driven by (common) domestic factors?

Latent space model (of opinion leadership)?

What's the story?

[fsolt]

@sammo3182: these are valid comments, but there are many possible stories. Media is a method of transmission, especially of policy adoption (Taiwan recognizing gay marriage got big coverage). We can use particular surveys' questions for identification(?). Issue is too many stories, not too few: we need some empirics to help us discipline this storytelling.

[fsolt]

@hey-ikon on C-SoDA: it is tricky to think about opinion diffusion, it isn't directly observable.

@fsolt: first steps are clear—see if there is evidence that opinion diffuses when domestic factors are controlled. If not, then write up that it doesn't. If it does, then we can try to figure out how.

To test whether opinion diffuses requires contiguity: geographical, linguistic, trade. Sam did a really nice paper on linguistic connections between dyads. Consider pulling him in? At the very least, talk to him about his data.