The Impact of Increased Learning Opportunities on Political Knowledge: Evidence From Repeated Cross-Sectional Surveys in Finland in 2008 and 2020

Abstract In the last 15 years, opportunities for political learning have increased in a way that lacks comparison in recent history. Technological advances have made political content constantly accessible online to most people in Western societies. What effect has this had on political knowledge? This study uses a repeated cross-sectional survey design from Finland, with surveys from 2008 (n = 1,020) and 2020 (n = 1,097). This interval captures the most intense growth period in online news content. By using the same sampling procedures to ensure similar representation of the Finnish adult population at the 2 time points, interviewing methods, and survey, the 2 surveys provide a rare opportunity to compare knowledge scores measured in face-to-face interviews while ensuring that the findings are not driven by methodological choices. The findings show a small increase in knowledge between 2008 and 2020. Young, low-educated and low-income respondents demonstrate relatively higher knowledge in 2020 compared with 2008, suggesting that increased political learning opportunities have contributed to a slight equalization between high-and low-knowledge groups. Political interest has become a stronger predictor of knowledge. Overall, the results offer a more encouraging interpretation of the development of political knowledge among democratic publics than many recent studies.