How Social Media Has Changed American Politics

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Other Title
  • ソーシャルメディアが変えるアメリカ政治：選挙と政策運営に注目して
  • ソーシャル メディア ガ カエル アメリカ セイジ : センキョ ト セイサク ウンエイ ニ チュウモク シテ

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Abstract

<p>This paper explores how social media has transformed American politics. The use of social media in US politics including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, has been developed to connect citizens, especially if they have a similar political leaning or cause to get behind. The aim of the paper is twofold: social media in elections and social media’s impacts on policy implements.</p><p>First, social media has dramatically changed the way campaigns are run. Using social media allows politicians to circumvent the traditional method of reaching voters through paid advertising. Social media has provided not only instant wide reach of protentional voters, but also important sources of electorate information to office-seekers, both demographic and political preference. The options available for customizing the pollical advertising has been much more tailored by combining between traditional demographic data and information obtained through social media interactions. With these very focused constituency data, candidates have the advantage of addressing to the exact demographic they are trying to reach.</p><p>Second, as for policy implements, the ability to publish content and broadcast it to millions of people instantaneously allows elected officials to manage their political messages and own images at minimum cost. Americans can learn direct messages from their elected officials and interact with them. Although the prevalence of social media in politics has made elected officials to publicize his/her policy implements more efficiently ever, social media can be a platform to manipulating citizens by disseminating self-serving political information. Further dependence on social media may hinder possible democratic discussions over policies.</p>

Journal

  • The American Review

    The American Review 54 (0), 137-157, 2020-04-25

    The Japanese Association for American Studies

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