Beyond Lasswell: A Multi-Level Circular Model of Digital Propaganda's Self-Sustaining Influence – Evidence from Iraq The Circular Multi-Level Propaganda Influence Model (CM-PIM)

Abstract Classical linear models (Lasswell, 1948) remain the dominant framework for analyzing propaganda influence. However, these models fail to explain a central phenomenon of the digital age: how does propaganda transform into a self-sustaining ecosystem, capable of amplification and diffusion even after the original source has ceased? This article argues that recent developments in generative artificial intelligence, algorithms, and the psychology of reception demand a radical shift in modeling propaganda influence. Drawing on a major field study of digital propaganda's impact on the Iraqi public (N=400), we propose the "Circular Multi-level Propaganda Influence Model (CM-PIM)." This model contends that the receiver is no longer the endpoint of influence but, through psychological and algorithmic mechanisms, becomes an active, self-sustaining source of propaganda amplification. We present empirical evidence from the Iraqi context to support the model's validity and discuss its theoretical and practical implications for understanding and countering digital disinformation.