The swift development of the Internet has inspired two sorts claims that large-scale transformations in structure political influence U.S. are under way: populist claim will erode organized groups and elites, community-building cause a restructuring nature community foundations social order. These significant because they address not only currently fashionable subject but also fundamental questions about causal role communication public life. A close evaluation both suggests assumptions...

This book assesses the consequences of new information technologies for American democracy in a way that is theoretical and also historically grounded. The author argues have produced fourth series 'information revolutions' US, stretching back to founding. Each these, he argues, led important structural changes politics. After re-interpreting historical political development from perspective evolving characteristics communications, evaluates effects Internet related media. analysis shows use...

Journal Article Reconceptualizing Collective Action in the Contemporary Media Environment Get access Bruce Bimber, Bimber 1Bruce (PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) is a professor Department Political Science and Communication at University California, Santa Barbara.. 4may be directed to Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Andrew J. Flanagin, Flanagin 2Andrew Southern California) an associate UC Barbara. Cynthia Stohl 3Cynthia Purdue University)...

Some aspects of democracy appear more sensitive than others to the availability throughout society political information. Individual-level engagement poses a puzzle in this regard. An instrumentalquantitative conception information that is central rational theories and also found some behavioral participation appears contradicted by historical trends. I treat contemporary expansion made possible new technology as form natural experiment. test for relationship between using survey data about...

ABSTRACTThis essay provides a descriptive interpretation of the role digital media in campaigns Barack Obama 2008 and 2012 with focus on two themes: personalized political communication commodification as tools. The covers campaign finance strategy, voter mobilization ground, innovation social media, data analytics, why organizations were more innovative than those his opponents. point contrast for other articles this special issue, which describe sometimes quite different practices recent...

An ongoing debate concerns the extent to which political consumerism constitutes behavior. To address this debate, researchers have examined several predictors of consumerism, but not focused on its communicative dimensions, especially with respect digital media. In study we conceptualize as a form civic engagement, and theorize that people who use social media are more likely engage in than those do not. Using original survey data collected US, find is closely related engagement it...

The Internet offers a new means by which citizens may contact government to express their views or concerns, and it raises interesting empirical theoretical questions about whether citizen contacts are affected communication media. This article uses survey data explore hypotheses of shape contacting activity. It compares Internet-based with traditional contacts, showing statistically significant but for the most part substantively small differences. Effects technology two kinds, those...

Click to increase image sizeClick decrease sizeKeywords: Civic Engagement Information Technology Internet Political Participation Integration

Abstract We propose an improved theoretical approach to the rich variety of collective action now present in public life. Toward this end, we advance a conception as communicative nature, and offer two-dimensional model space, comprising dimensions for (a) mode interpersonal interaction (b) engagement that shapes interaction. illustrate perspective by describing location contemporary groups within it explication space reveals its utility making sense modern efforts. Specifically, apply...

ABSTRACT Research shows that digital media use is positively related to political participation. However, this relationship does not appear in all studies. To date, researchers have generally treated inconsistent findings from study and election as an empirical problem reflects differences measurement model specification. In article, we question the assumption a consistent between Internet participation should exist over time. We test expectation using 12 years of data American National...

The health of democratic public spheres is challenged by the circulation falsehoods. These epistemic problems are connected to social media and they raise a classic problem how understand role technology in political developments. We discuss three sets technological affordances that facilitate spread false beliefs: obscuring provenance information, facilitating deception about authorship, providing for manipulation signals. argue these do not make “cause” with falsehoods, but explanations...

Many observers are concerned that echo chamber effects in digital media contributing to the polarization of publics and, some places, rise right-wing populism. This study employs survey data collected France, United Kingdom and States (1500 respondents each country) from April May 2017. Overall, we do not find evidence online/social explain support for populist candidates parties. Instead, States, use online decreases Looking specifically at measures, offline discussion with those who...

This study examines mediators of the relationship between news consumption and political participation in contemporary environment. We test differential effects exerted by pro- counter-attitudinal compared with balanced on intended participation. Our primary objective is to model three paths that may link exposure participation: cognitive (i.e., perceived issue understanding), affective emotions evoked a story), attitudinal attitude strength). compare these across four issues, testing which...

Recent research on activism in the context of digital media has argued that organizing can happen outside organizations and even without SMOs. This work been focused primarily “supply side” participation. In this article, we expand line by focusing “demand side.” We examine distinction between self-directed organizationally directed from perspective individual, finding shifts toward movement societies, rise lifestyle politics, and, to a lesser extent, changing citizenship norms explain...

Political interest is a potentially important moderator of the relationship between digital media use and traditional forms political participation. We theorize that interaction can be either positive or negative, depending on whether action voting, an elite-directed act, self-directed act. To test our expectation, we British Election Studies data from 2001, 2005, 2010. find positively consistently associated with talk for those lower in interest. For similar appears to strengthening over...

Research dealing with the nexus of collective action, political participation, and digital media confronts three challenges: conceptualizing as an influence on human behavior, finding common ground among new theories, connecting together individual-level models structural-level theories. This article addresses these challenges a theoretical undertaking. It argues that environment should be understood change in context for action rather than variable, this changed is relevant to behavior...

The year 2017 saw a cycle of protest ignited by President Trump's election and subsequent policies. This research seeks to investigate the role social media television in raising awareness events increasing participation marches demonstrations. paper uses data from two surveys conducted May June 2017, during peak this protest. We explore for (in general) as well Women's March Science. find that Twitter use offers more consistent effects compared Facebook relation In contrast, has no impact...

Political participation opportunities have been expanding for years, most recently through digital tools. Social media platforms become well integrated into civic and political participation. Using a cross-national sample from the United States, Kingdom France, this article examines whether acts of associated with social should be classified using traditional, five-factor solution to structure participatory acts. The distinction between online offline is set aside, focusing instead on...