This paper examines how changes in newspaper circulation affected voter turnout, party vote shares, and mass polarization in Weimar Berlin. My empirical strategy exploits variation in the development of railway system across historical districts of Berlin, which influenced the circulation of newspapers. I find that an increase in newspaper circulation significantly induced higher turnout in fourteen outer districts and a higher degree of mass polarization. Partisan newspapers benefitted party vote shares, with stronger effects in federal elections than in local elections. The electoral influence of newspapers was driven by tabloids and mass newspapers, and not by elite political newspapers.

中文翻译：

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魏玛共和国媒体的政治权力

本文探讨了报纸发行量的变化如何影响魏玛柏林的选民投票率、政党投票份额和群众两极分化。我的实证策略利用了柏林历史街区铁路系统发展的变化，这些变化影响了报纸的发行。我发现报纸发行量的增加显着导致了 14 个外围地区的投票率增加和群众两极分化的程度更高。党派报纸使党派投票份额受益，在联邦选举中的影响比在地方选举中的影响更大。报纸的选举影响力是由小报和大众报纸推动的，而不是由精英政治报纸推动的。