Politicians unleashed? Political communication on Twitter and in parliament in Western Europe

Bruno Castanho Silva and Sven-Oliver Proksch

Political Science Research and Methods, 2022, vol. 10, issue 4, 776-792

Abstract: Twitter is a prominent communication tool for politicians with two potential uses: as a “substitute” channel to circumvent constraints from other political arenas, or as an “amplifier” that reinforces party messages. Using a novel dataset containing tweets and parliamentary speeches by members of parliament (MPs) in seven countries, we estimate politicians’ positions and intra-party dissent on European integration. We find that MPs’ sentiment about Europe on Twitter is a valid measure of their party's position, while also uncovering intra-party disagreements. Our results suggest that most MPs amplify the partisan message, but MPs who participate less in parliamentary debate tend to have larger differences with their party on Twitter. Social media thus can free politicians from their party's grip.

Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cup:pscirm:v:10:y:2022:i:4:p:776-792_6

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