Patrick Balles, Ulrich Matter, Alois Stutzer (2025). The Political Economy of Attention: Media Salience, Voter Cognition, and Electoral Accountability
In: Journal of Economic Surveys

ABSTRACT

We review conceptual and empirical contributions to the political economy of attention, with a focus on how attention allocation shapes political behavior and electoral accountability. The review distinguishes between endogenous (goal-directed) and exogenous (stimulus-driven) attention and examines how these concepts are incorporated into political economy models. We then discuss empirical research on how attention shifts – driven by media coverage, transparency reforms, and persuasive content – affect voting behavior and accountability outcomes. We also consider how digital technologies, such as algorithmic content curation and individual-level targeting, transform the political information environment and create new dynamics of attention allocation. The review concludes by outlining methodological approaches for identifying causal effects of attention and by highlighting key directions for future research in this growing field.