Interpersonal Networks and Political Behavior

The social context of political decision making is a critical component of explanations of political behavior. Little research, however, has focused on direct observation of the social circles that transmit political information and influence. This paper describes local, neighborhood-based social networks as influences on individual political attitudes. I propose and estimate models of the sources and impacts of interpersonal networks in the mass public, using data on political networks collected as part of the research and development efforts for the National Election Studies.