Signal Jamming and Fake News in Electoral Competition

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Matthias Kräkel
• Subject Area: Economic Policy, Applied Economics
• Term: from 2019 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 425556085

Based on a theoretical model, I intend to analyze the impact of fake news on electoral competition. The main focus will be on the welfare effects, which can be measured by the influence of fake news on the quality of candidate selection (i.e., will the most competent candidate win the election?). In addition, welfare effects can be measured on the basis of the polarization of the electorate. I also plan to investigate the interplay between fake news and cognitive biases. Finally, the model setup will be extended by including third parties as active players (e.g., the media, lobbyists, foreign countries).

• DFG Programme: Research Grants