Michael Neblo

Publications of Michael Neblo

• Explaining the Diffusion of Web-Based Communication Technology among Congressional Offices: A Natural Experiment Using State Delegations

  Authors: Kevin Esterling, David Lazar, Michael Neblo

  Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Working Paper Series. 01/2009;

  Do legislators learn to use new communication technologies from each other? Using data from the official homepages of members of the U.S. House of Representatives, we test whether web-basedDo legislators learn to use new communication technologies from each other? Using data from the official homepages of members of the U.S. House of Representatives, we test whether web-based communication technology diffuses through congressional state delegations. We use a natural experimental design that exploits ignorable state boundaries to distinguish between causal diffusion processes and spatial heterogeneity. Using nonlinear conditional autoregressive models for the statistical test, we find that web communication technology practices are weakly driven by communication within state delegations, and with the effect slightly more pronounced among Democrats than among Republicans.

• Networks, Hierarchies, and Markets: Aggregating Collective Problem Solving in Social Systems

  Authors: David Lazer, Ines Mergel, Curt Ziniel, Kevin Esterling, Michael Neblo

  Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Working Paper Series. 01/2009;

  How do decentralized systems collectively solve problems? Here we explore the interplay among three canonical forms of collective organization--markets, networks, and hierarchies--in aggregatingHow do decentralized systems collectively solve problems? Here we explore the interplay among three canonical forms of collective organization--markets, networks, and hierarchies--in aggregating decentralized problem solving. We examine these constructs in the context of how the offices of members of Congress individually and collectively wrestle with the Internet, and, in particular, their use of official websites. Each office is simultaneously making decisions about how to utilize their website. These decisions are only partially independent, where offices are looking at each other for lessons, following the same directives from above about what to do with the websites, and confront the same array of potential vendors to produce their website. Here we present the initial results from interviews with 99 Congressional offices and related survey of 100 offices about their decisions regarding how to use official Member websites. Strikingly, we find that there are relatively few efforts by offices to evaluate what constituents want or like on their websites. Further, we find that diffusion occurs at the "tip of the iceberg": offices often look at each others' websites (which are publicly visible), but rarely talk to each other about their experiences or how they manage what is on their websites (which are not publicly visible). We also find that there are important market drivers of what is on websites, with the emergence of a small industry of companies seeking to serve the 440 Members. Hierarchical influences--through the House and through the party conferences--also constrain and subsidize certain practices.

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• Who Wants to Deliberate--And Why?

  Authors: Michael Neblo, Kevin Esterling, Ryan Kennedy, David Lazer, Anand Sokhey

  Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Working Paper Series. 01/2009;

  Interest in deliberative theories of democracy has grown tremendously among political theorists over the last twenty years. Many scholars in political behavior, however, are skeptical that it is aInterest in deliberative theories of democracy has grown tremendously among political theorists over the last twenty years. Many scholars in political behavior, however, are skeptical that it is a practically viable theory, even on its own terms. They argue (inter alia) that most people dislike politics, and that deliberative initiatives would amount to a paternalistic imposition. Using two large, representative samples investigating people's hypothetical willingness to deliberate and their actual behavior in response to a real invitation to deliberate with their member of Congress, we find: 1) that willingness to deliberate in the U.S. is much more widespread than expected; and 2) that it is precisely people who are less likely to participate in traditional partisan politics who are most interested in deliberative participation. They are attracted to such participation as a partial alternative to "politics as usual."

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• Members of congress websites: diffusion at the tip of the iceberg.

  Authors: David Lazer, Ines Mergel, Curt Ziniel, Kevin Esterling, Michael Neblo

  Proceedings of the 8th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research, Bridging Disciplines & Domains, DG.O 2007, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, May 20-23, 2007; 01/2007

• Connecting to congress: improving deliberation in the information age.

  Authors: Kevin Esterling, Michael Neblo, David Lazer

  Proceedings of the 8th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research, Bridging Disciplines & Domains, DG.O 2007, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, May 20-23, 2007; 01/2007

• Technology adoption and institutional change in the United States senate: an analysis of web site content.

  Authors: Kevin Esterling, David Lazer, Michael Neblo

  Proceedings of the 7th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research, DG.O 2006, San Diego, California, USA, May 21-24, 2006; 01/2006

• Connecting to Congress.

  Authors: David Lazer, Kevin Esterling, Michael Neblo, Jane E. Fountain, Ines Mergel, Curt Ziniel

  Proceedings of the 7th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research, DG.O 2006, San Diego, California, USA, May 21-24, 2006; 01/2006

• Home (Page) Style: Determinates of the Quality of the House Members' Web Sites.

  Authors: Kevin Esterling, David Lazer, Michael Neblo

  IJEGR. 01/2005; 1:50-63.

• Style conscious: how members of congress learn new ways to communicate.

  Authors: David Lazer, Kevin Esterling, Michael Neblo

  Proceedings of the 2005 National Conference on Digital Government Research, DG.O 2005, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, May 15-18, 2005; 01/2005

• Connecting to congress: project highlights.

  Authors: David Lazer, Kevin Esterling, Michael Neblo, Jane E. Fountain, Ines Mergel, Curt Ziniel

  Proceedings of the 2005 National Conference on Digital Government Research, DG.O 2005, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, May 15-18, 2005; 01/2005

• Home (Page) Style: House Members on the Web.

  Authors: Kevin Esterling, David Lazer, Michael Neblo

  01/2004

• Is necessity the mother of innovation? The adoption and use of web technologies among Congressional offices

  Authors: Kevin M. Esterling, David M .J. Lazer, Michael Neblo

  David Lazer.

  From first paragraph: Communication between legislator and constituents is fundamental to effective democratic representation, and devising the institutional means for citizen/legislatorFrom first paragraph: Communication between legislator and constituents is fundamental to effective democratic representation, and devising the institutional means for citizen/legislator communication stands as one of the core and persistent problems in the practice of democracy. A legislator needs information about the preferences, ideals, norms, and beliefs of her constituents in order to do her job well. Similarly, citizens need information about the actions and decisions of their representative in order to maintain appropriate accountability. But as national problems become more complex, and as the political process grows more and more dominated by experts and organized groups, it is becoming more difficult for interested citizens to understand the very meaning of government action, much less to find an effective voice in the process.

• Explaining the Diffusion of Web-Based Communication Technology among Congressional Offices: A Natural Experiment using State Delegations

  Authors: David Lazer, Kevin Esterling, Michael Neblo

  Do legislators learn to use new communication technologies from each other? Using data from the official homepages of members of the U.S. House of Representatives, we test whether web-basedDo legislators learn to use new communication technologies from each other? Using data from the official homepages of members of the U.S. House of Representatives, we test whether web-based communication technology diffuses through congressional state delegations. We use a natural experimental design that exploits ignorable state boundaries to distinguish between causal diffusion processes and spatial heterogeneity. Using nonlinear conditional autoregressive models for the statistical test, we find that web communication technology practices are weakly driven by communication within state delegations, and with the effect slightly more pronounced among Democrats than among Republicans.

• Networks, Hierarchies, and Markets: Aggregating Collective Problem Solving in Social Systems

  Authors: David M. Lazer, Ines Mergel, Curt Ziniel, Michael Neblo

  How do decentralized systems collectively solve problems? Here we explore the interplay among three canonical forms of collective organization—markets, networks, and hierarchies—in aggregatingHow do decentralized systems collectively solve problems? Here we explore the interplay among three canonical forms of collective organization—markets, networks, and hierarchies—in aggregating decentralized problem solving. We examine these constructs in the context of how the offices of members of Congress individually and collectively wrestle with the Internet, and, in particular, their use of official websites. Each office is simultaneously making decisions about how to utilize their website. These decisions are only partially independent, where offices are looking at each other for lessons, following the same directives from above about what to do with the websites, and confront the same array of potential vendors to produce their website. Here we present the initial results from interviews with 99 Congressional offices and related survey of 100 offices about their decisions regarding how to use official Member websites. Strikingly, we find that there are relatively few efforts by offices to evaluate what constituents want or like on their websites. Further, we find that diffusion occurs at the “tip of the iceberg”: offices often look at each others’ websites (which are publicly visible), but rarely talk to each other about their experiences or how they manage what is on their websites (which are not publicly visible). We also find that there are important market drivers of what is on websites, with the emergence of a small industry of companies seeking to serve the 440 Members. Hierarchical influences—through the House and through the party conferences—also constrain and subsidize certain practices.

• The Coevolution of Networks and Political Attitudes

  Authors: David Lazer, Brian Rubineau, Carol Chetkovich, Nancy Katz, Michael Neblo

  Working Papers.

  How do attitudes and social affiliations co-evolve? A long stream of research has focused on the relationship between attitudes and social affiliations. However, in most of this research the causalHow do attitudes and social affiliations co-evolve? A long stream of research has focused on the relationship between attitudes and social affiliations. However, in most of this research the causal relationship between views and affiliations is difficult to discern definitively: Do people influence each other's views so that they converge over time or do they primarily affiliate (by choice or happenstance) with those of similar views? Here we use longitudinal attitudinal and whole network data collected at critical times (notably, at the inception of the system) to identify robustly the determinants of attitudes and affiliations. We find significant conformity tendencies: individuals shift their political views toward the political views of their associates. This conformity is driven by social ties rather than task ties. We also find that, while individuals tend to associate with similar others, political views are notably less a basis for associational choices than demographic and institutional factors.