How Important is Twitter to Local Elections in Brazil? A Case Study of Fortaleza City Council
Studies on the effects of the internet on elections have revealed how Social Network Sites (SNSs) are used by citizens to learn about, choose and contact their representatives. This article analyzes 27 Twitter accounts managed by Fortaleza's city councilors who ran for reelection in October 201...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Brazilian Political Science Association
2016-12-01
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| Series: | Brazilian Political Science Review |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/pdf/bpsr/v10n3/1981-3821-bpsr-1981-38212016000300005.pdf |
| _version_ | 1819266074296713216 |
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| author | Francisco Paulo Jamil Marques Camila Mont’Alverne |
| author_facet | Francisco Paulo Jamil Marques Camila Mont’Alverne |
| author_sort | Francisco Paulo Jamil Marques |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Studies on the effects of the internet on elections have revealed how Social Network Sites (SNSs) are used by citizens to learn about, choose and contact their representatives. This article analyzes 27 Twitter accounts managed by Fortaleza's city councilors who ran for reelection in October 2012. The study aimed to discover the importance of Twitter in the councilors' campaign strategies: what kind of messages were sent by the councilors who adopted digital communication strategies to their followers, and the relationship between party affiliation and e-campaigns. The article shows that communitarian sociability, understood as face-to-face relations or interactions among individuals, affects how the internet is used in local campaigns, since there is no direct relationship between electoral success and the heavy use of Twitter by candidates, at least in proportional local elections (which are defined as cases in which candidates do not necessarily need to reach the votes of a majority of constituents, but only a part of them). However, those who adopt a digital communication strategy use it to broadcast their political platforms and promote their campaign events. Finally, except for small left-wing parties, there appears to be no relationship between party affiliation and e-campaigns. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T20:55:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f3ca8ca16f714fdb93144f3941660f24 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1981-3821 1981-3821 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T20:55:29Z |
| publishDate | 2016-12-01 |
| publisher | Brazilian Political Science Association |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brazilian Political Science Review |
| spelling | doaj.art-f3ca8ca16f714fdb93144f3941660f242022-12-21T17:31:33ZengBrazilian Political Science AssociationBrazilian Political Science Review1981-38211981-38212016-12-01103135How Important is Twitter to Local Elections in Brazil? A Case Study of Fortaleza City CouncilFrancisco Paulo Jamil Marques0Camila Mont’Alverne1Universidade Federal do ParanáUniversidade Federal do ParanáStudies on the effects of the internet on elections have revealed how Social Network Sites (SNSs) are used by citizens to learn about, choose and contact their representatives. This article analyzes 27 Twitter accounts managed by Fortaleza's city councilors who ran for reelection in October 2012. The study aimed to discover the importance of Twitter in the councilors' campaign strategies: what kind of messages were sent by the councilors who adopted digital communication strategies to their followers, and the relationship between party affiliation and e-campaigns. The article shows that communitarian sociability, understood as face-to-face relations or interactions among individuals, affects how the internet is used in local campaigns, since there is no direct relationship between electoral success and the heavy use of Twitter by candidates, at least in proportional local elections (which are defined as cases in which candidates do not necessarily need to reach the votes of a majority of constituents, but only a part of them). However, those who adopt a digital communication strategy use it to broadcast their political platforms and promote their campaign events. Finally, except for small left-wing parties, there appears to be no relationship between party affiliation and e-campaigns.http://www.scielo.br/pdf/bpsr/v10n3/1981-3821-bpsr-1981-38212016000300005.pdfInternetsocial network siteselectionspolitical campaignslocal power |
| spellingShingle | Francisco Paulo Jamil Marques Camila Mont’Alverne How Important is Twitter to Local Elections in Brazil? A Case Study of Fortaleza City Council Brazilian Political Science Review Internet social network sites elections political campaigns local power |
| title | How Important is Twitter to Local Elections in Brazil? A Case Study of Fortaleza City Council |
| title_full | How Important is Twitter to Local Elections in Brazil? A Case Study of Fortaleza City Council |
| title_fullStr | How Important is Twitter to Local Elections in Brazil? A Case Study of Fortaleza City Council |
| title_full_unstemmed | How Important is Twitter to Local Elections in Brazil? A Case Study of Fortaleza City Council |
| title_short | How Important is Twitter to Local Elections in Brazil? A Case Study of Fortaleza City Council |
| title_sort | how important is twitter to local elections in brazil a case study of fortaleza city council |
| topic | Internet social network sites elections political campaigns local power |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/pdf/bpsr/v10n3/1981-3821-bpsr-1981-38212016000300005.pdf |
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