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Voter mobilisation in the echo chamber: Broadband internet and the rise of populism in Europe
[journal article]
Abstract Can the diffusion of broadband internet help explain the recent success of populist parties in Europe? Populists cultivate an anti-elitist communication style, which, they claim, directly connects them with ordinary people. The internet therefore appears to be the perfect tool for populist leaders. ... view more
Can the diffusion of broadband internet help explain the recent success of populist parties in Europe? Populists cultivate an anti-elitist communication style, which, they claim, directly connects them with ordinary people. The internet therefore appears to be the perfect tool for populist leaders. This study shows that this notion holds up to rigorous empirical testing. Drawing on survey data from Italy and Germany, a positive correlation is found between use of the internet as a source of political information and voting for populist parties. By instrumenting internet use with broadband coverage at the municipality level, the study then demonstrates that this relationship is causal. The findings suggest that part of the rise of populism can be attributed to the effect of online tools and communication strategies made possible by the proliferation of broadband access.... view less
Keywords
populism; political attitude; voting behavior; political communication; Internet; online media; opinion formation; Italy; Federal Republic of Germany
Classification
Political Process, Elections, Political Sociology, Political Culture
Interactive, electronic Media
Free Keywords
broadband internet
Document language
English
Publication Year
2019
Page/Pages
p. 1-22
Journal
European Journal of Political Research, 58 (2019)
Handle
http://hdl.handle.net/10419/214274
ISSN
1475-6765
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed