An economic theory of political communication effects: How the economy conditions political learning

Politics and economics are inextricably linked. This article argues that the economy has been an underdeveloped contextual variable capable of coordinating the process and consequences of political communication. A theoretical model connecting microindividual outcomes to macrosocial functioning is proposed to capture the dynamic ecology of citizens' political involvement. In particular, the economic environment is theorized to impact voters' news media use and political learning through a series of mechanisms. It is maintained that the study of political communication benefits from considering macroeconomic variables, which brings more explanatory power to models of political communication effects, tests the economic rationality of the electorate in response to variegated social settings, and builds a political communication effects theory that addresses both micro- and macrofactors. © 2009 International Communication Association.