Schulz W (2019)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2019
Book Volume: 8
Pages Range: 77-114
Journal Issue: 1
DOI: 10.5771/2192-4007-2019-1-77
Does exposure to political information on the Internet contribute to mobilizing the electorate? The study pursues this question by comparing online and offline sources as well as the voters' involvement in the electoral process and their voting intentions. Previous research on these topics is inconsistent because it is most often based on data which do not allow clear results. In contrast, this study uses a novel approach which permits a test of causality with much more evidence than conventional statistical methods. It is based on a three-wave panel survey during the final phase of the German Bundestag Election of 2013. Theoretical starting point is Slater's model of reinforcing spirals which elaborates a concept of the Erie-County-Study during the 1940s. Apparently, a key result of the earliest election research is still valid in the new media world: Information exposure and voter mobilization are linked by reciprocities and cumulative effects. However, the spiral processes are less pronounced for online than offline sources such as political talks among family members and news on public service television, and there are differences between voter involvement and voting intention. The article discusses potential explanations for these differences.
APA:
Schulz, W. (2019). Spiral effects in the new media world: Voter mobilization and political information exposure online and offline during the Bundestag election campaign of 2013. Studies in Communication | Media, 8(1), 77-114. https://dx.doi.org/10.5771/2192-4007-2019-1-77
MLA:
Schulz, Winfried. "Spiral effects in the new media world: Voter mobilization and political information exposure online and offline during the Bundestag election campaign of 2013." Studies in Communication | Media 8.1 (2019): 77-114.
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