Examining the Role of Cultural Values and Semantic Priming in Elite Cognition and Utility Assessment of Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic fracturing is a highly technical method for accessing unconventional sources of oil and gas. Despite being perceived by some as promising and innovative, the technique remains highly controversial in the U.S. Uncertainties regarding the consequences of its use and contested issue frames support entrenched policy debates around this issue. This research investigates local policy elites’ perception of the utility of hydraulic fracturing using original survey data (n=322). The study examines how culturally-biased values and aspects of issue frames are used by policy elites to think about and assess this issue.