Claims That Social Media Endangers Democracy Are Mostly Misinformation

Politicians, pundits, academics, psychologists, and consultants have been trying to understand why people vote the way they do for as long as democratic elections have been held. There are many theories, studies, and exit polls, but few definitive conclusions.

Which was most decisive: the economy, a particular issue, the candidate’s image, advertising, campaign spending, technology, organizing, voting rules, unforeseen events, the mood of the times, or some other factor? There’s usually no way to tell definitively, especially when an election is very close.