Using Political Cues for Attitude Formation in Post-Conflict Contexts

Garbiras-Díaz, N, M García-Sánchez, and A Matanock (2020). Using Political Cues for Attitude Formation in Post-Conflict Contexts (ESOC Working Paper No. 19). Empirical Studies of Conflict Project. Retrieved [date], from http://esoc.princeton.edu/wp19.

35 Pages Posted: 20 Nov 2019 Last revised: 28 Mar 2021

See all articles by Natalia Garbiras-Díaz

Natalia Garbiras-Díaz

European University Institute, Max Weber Programme; European University Institute

Miguel A. Garcia-Sanchez

Independent

Aila M. Matanock

Department of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley

Date Written: March 27, 2021

Abstract

Citizens often have to evaluate peace agreements by voting on referendums or the negotiating leaders or by deciding whether to cooperate with implementation. In this paper, we assess how citizens form attitudes towards the provisions emerging from settlements. Citizens seeking to survive and rebuild are evaluating complex policies in contexts that tend to be politically factionalized. We theorize that they will use cues from political elites with whom they have affinity. We test our theory using survey experiments in Colombia. We find citizens rely on political elites' cues to form their opinion on the peace agreement's provisions, with the direction depending on their affinity with these elites. These cues appear to supply easily-accessible information that respondents use over other information sources. In contrast to other work that sees peace processes as exceptional and citizens as potential stabilizing forces, our results suggest that even these high-stakes decisions are politics as usual.

Keywords: peace agreements; attitudes; elite cues; FARC; Colombia

Suggested Citation

Garbiras-Díaz, Natalia and Garcia-Sanchez, Miguel A. and Matanock, Aila M., Using Political Cues for Attitude Formation in Post-Conflict Contexts (March 27, 2021). Garbiras-Díaz, N, M García-Sánchez, and A Matanock (2020). Using Political Cues for Attitude Formation in Post-Conflict Contexts (ESOC Working Paper No. 19). Empirical Studies of Conflict Project. Retrieved [date], from http://esoc.princeton.edu/wp19., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3483939 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3483939

Natalia Garbiras-Díaz (Contact Author)

European University Institute, Max Weber Programme ( email )

Via dei Roccettini 9
San Domenico di Fiesole
Florence, 50014
Italy

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.nataliagarbirasdiaz.com/

European University Institute ( email )

Aila M. Matanock

Department of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley ( email )

210 Social Sciences Building #1950
Berkeley, CA 94720
United States

HOME PAGE: http://ailamatanock.com

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