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✉news WorldPolitics first seen 5 h ago, last 16 min ago, peak #7

Study: Most Americans use shortcuts on complex political issues

Original: On complex political issues, most Americans take shortcuts to simplicity

New research from the University of California, Berkeley suggests that when faced with complex political questions, most Americans avoid deep analysis and instead rely on mental shortcuts to reach simplified conclusions. The findings add to ongoing debate about how voters form opinions, pointing to reliance on heuristics like party cues and gut feelings rather than detailed policy knowledge when weighing complicated issues.

Why now: New academic research on how Americans simplify complex political issues is drawing attention amid widespread discussion of polarization and low political knowledge.

University of California, BerkeleyAmerican voters

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