✳flâneur — a map of the web's best reading

Less knowledge, more power: Uninformed can be vital to democracy, study finds

princeton.edu · 2,263 words · saved by 1 readers

Contrary to the ideal of a completely engaged electorate, individuals who have the least interest in a specific outcome can actually be vital to achieving a democratic consensus. These individuals dilute the influence of powerful minority factions who would otherwise dominate everyone else, according to new research published in the journal Science. A Princeton University-based research team reports Dec. 16 that this finding — based on group decision-making experiments on fish, as well as mathematical models and computer simulations — can ultimately provide insights into humans’ political behavior. The researchers report that in animal groups, uninformed individuals — as in those with no prior knowledge or strong feelings on a situation’s outcome — tend to side with and embolden the numerical majority. Relating the results to human political activity, the study challenges the common notion that an outspoken minority can manipulate uncommitted voters. Princeton University-led researcher

Less knowledge, more power: Uninformed can be vital to democracy, study finds Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Email Print By Morgan Kelly on Dec. 15, 2011, 2 p.m. Contrary to the ideal of a completely engaged electorate, individuals who have the least interest in a specific outcome can actually be vital to achieving a democratic consensus. These individuals dilute the influence of powerful minority factions who would otherwise dominate everyone else, according to new research published in the journal Science. A Princeton University-based research team reports Dec. 16 that

Explore this link on the map →

related reading