The Twitter Blackout: Do congressional rules influence the cyberworld?
Saved in:
| Title: | The Twitter Blackout: Do congressional rules influence the cyberworld? |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Gutierrez‐Mannix, Carlos (AUTHOR), Gray, Thomas R. (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell). Sep2024, Vol. 105 Issue 5, p1835-1847. 13p. |
| Subjects: | Political advertising, Political campaigns, Direct mail advertising, Databases, Communicative competence, Microblogs |
| Abstract: | Intro: Communication is understood to be a pillar of democracy. Therefore, governments around the world enact laws which make it easier for politicians to communicate with their constituents. However, some governments also restrict this ability during campaign seasons as a way of unclogging the media. In the United States, congressional election blackout dates are periods in which politicians are not allowed to engage in mass unsolicited mailing of political advertising. Because the prohibition only applies to unsolicited media, we theorize that we should see the transition from one type of communication to another. Methods: To test this effect, we created a database containing all tweets by all Members of Congress from the last three Congresses. Results: We find that immediately during the blackout periods, members of Congress substantially increase the number of tweets they post. Discussion: We conclude that Members of Congress are strategic in their ability to exchange communication outlets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell) is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
Be the first to leave a comment!
