Study claims Internet forums increase political participation

By Alan Franciose

In the study, conducted by Northeastern political science professor David Lazer, online town hall meetings showed promising results for the impact of the Internet in political systems. The study showed people who took part in the online meetings increased their approval and trust of officials, as well as a demonstrated an increase in voting and political discussion.A new study suggests that the Internet may revolutionize the way the public and the government communicate with each other.

"Much like the printing press of another era, the Internet is being used to transform our democracy," the study's introduction said.
The study states that in a democracy, the ability for constituents and representatives to communicate with each other is of critical importance as it creates a feedback cycle. Members of the public first voice their opinions, giving representatives feedback about what their core supporters are asking for. This creates an incentive for the representatives to respond to concerns, as their ability to respond to the wishes of the public, decides whether the public will vote for them or not.

Clear communication between representatives and constituents is critical if the feedback cycle is to work.  The Internet may prove to be the next big method for political communication.

The study enlisted the help of one senator, Carl Levin of Michigan, and 12 representatives. The representatives participated in an online forum about illegal immigration with between 15 and 25 constituents. The senator's session, however, included 193 constituents. The officials responded to constituent questions for 30 minutes, followed by 30 minutes of chat between the constituents without the congressional official present.
"The finding that really excited me the most was the affects on political attention and engagement," Lazer said.

The study showed the town halls increased constituents' knowledge of illegal immigration policy. The participants were asked several questions about illegal immigration, and their answers were more often correct than those of a control group who did not partake in the discussion.

The study showed whether or not the particular facts were mentioned by the member in the session had little impact on learning. Instead, learning seemed to have been driven by increased engagement with the issue, where those who participated were more likely to talk to others about the issue, and those who talked to others about the issue were more likely to learn about the issue.                       

Discussions allowed people from a wide demographic to come together and participate. Traditional town halls tend to bring a certain slice of the population, Lazer said, the people who have the time and motivation to travel to see an official in person. The Internet is widely, though not universally, available allowing many more people to come together.

"Young people were more likely to participate," Lazer said. "That was not something we expected, it was exciting."

"If I had the chance to [participate in an online town hall], I would," said junior psychology major Shana Szerlag. "I think more people would be willing to speak in that setting."

However, when politics and the Internet come together, the validity of the discussions being held can face some problems. Lazer said there is always a chance that an online town hall might not be moderated by neutral players, and that certain questions may be chosen or framed solely to make the representative look good.

"It's far from hopeless," said Lazer. "A balanced forum, like the ones held for the study, demonstrate the significant impact such meetings can hold for the public, a fact that outweighs the potential for misuse."

Source: http://www.huntington-news.com/news/study-claims-internet-forums-increase-political-participation-1.2063436