Films can have a major influence on how people view government.

While government is frequently the subject of feature films, we have only a limited understanding on how government’s portrayal on films affect audience’s perceptions of state institutions. In new research, Michelle C. Pautz looked at the impact of two recent films, Argo and Zero Dark Thirty, on audience’s perceptions of government. She finds that after viewing the two films, many of the study participants’ views changed, with most expressing greater levels of trust in government and having a more positive view of government performance.