Information Flow and the Stability of Partisan Attitudes

There is something of a paradox in the findings of public opinion research that those individuals who shift their political position from one election to another frequently have less information about the political situation and the issues than persons whose attitudes and positions remain relatively unchanged. This runs contrary to the common assumption that changes in political attitudes and behavior occur in response to communication of information and arguments about the principal candidates and the issues on which they are divided. Here is an extended discussion of the question.