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Communication Research
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The Impact of Political Discussion in a Democratizing Society

The Moderating Role of Disagreement and Support for Democracy

Francis L. F. Lee

Chinese University of Hong Kong, francis_lee{at}cuhk.edu.hk

This study examines interpersonal political discussion in the context of a democratizing society, focusing specifically on its impact on political knowledge and awareness of the danger of majority tyranny. Moreover, following the argument that the normatively desirable impact of political discussion is likely to emerge or be stronger under specific conditions, this study treats disagreement and support for democratization as two moderators of discussion effects. Analysis of a representative survey (n = 800) conducted in Hong Kong shows that frequency of interpersonal political discussion relates positively to political knowledge. The relationship is stronger among people who experience more disagreement in discussion. Support for democracy does not moderate the impact of discussion on knowledge. But a three-way interaction effect is found on awareness of the danger of majority tyranny: Discussion leads to such awareness only among supporters of democracy who experience disagreement in discussion. This study thus both replicates and extends the findings in the existing, mostly U.S.based literature on the impact of political talk.

Key Words: interpersonal political discussion • political disagreement • support for democracy • political knowledge • majority tyranny • democratizing society

This version was published on June 1, 2009

Communication Research, Vol. 36, No. 3, 379-399 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0093650209333027
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