IdeasLab 2014 - Helen Margetts - The Power of Participation

TL;DR

The internet and social media have reshaped political participation, allowing people to engage in small acts that can lead to large-scale mobilization and policy change.

Transcript

I'm a political scientist I look at I research what politics looks like when it's intertwined with the internet and social media because that's what's happening a growing percentage of people spend growing proportions of their time online that's long been true of the developed world it's increasingly true of developing countries as well so what doe... Read More

Key Insights

• 🌥️ The internet and social media have made political participation accessible to a larger percentage of the population.
• 🥺 Tiny acts of political participation on social media can lead to large-scale mobilization and policy change.
• 🔉 While there are successful examples of social media mobilization, the majority fail, and the reasons for success remain unclear.
• ◼️ Social media mobilizations lack traditional leadership and institutions, making them difficult to predict and understand.
• 🧑‍🔬 Big Data generated from digital traces left by online political engagement can provide valuable insights for political scientists and policymakers.
• 🧑‍🔬 Using Big Data, political scientists can potentially improve their ability to predict political events, similar to how meteorologists predict weather patterns.
• 🎨 Understanding chaotic systems like social media mobilizations can help policymakers design more effective policies.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does political participation on the internet and social media differ from traditional participation?

On the internet and social media, political participation involves small acts that can be done from the comfort of one's home, such as liking, sharing, and signing petitions. This allows individuals who may not typically participate in traditional ways to engage politically.

Q: What examples demonstrate the impact of social media mobilization?

The Arab Spring revolutions showcase how websites gradually built resistance against authoritarian regimes, leading to large-scale demonstrations. In democratic states, mass email campaigns and electronic petitions have gained millions of supporters, resulting in policy change.

Q: Why do most mobilizations on social media fail?

While success stories are highlighted, the reality is that 99% of electronic petitions lead nowhere. The reasons for success are not fully understood, and there is a lack of knowledge about why some mobilizations succeed while others do not.

Q: How do social media mobilizations differ from traditional ones in terms of leadership and institutions?

Traditional mobilizations often have clear leaders and established institutions. However, mobilizations powered by social media often lack these traditional trappings, making them unpredictable and challenging to comprehend.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Political participation on the internet and social media involves small acts like liking, sharing, and signing electronic petitions, which can scale up to large-scale mobilization.

• While success stories of social media mobilization are highlighted, the reality is that most mobilizations fail, and the reasons for success remain unclear.

• Mobilizations powered by social media lack traditional leadership and institutions, making them unpredictable and difficult to understand.