Exploring the Contingent Effects of Political Efficacy and Partisan Strength on the Relationship Between Online News Use and Democratic Engagement

Authors

  • Michael Chan Chinese University of Hong Kong

Keywords:

political participation, civic engagement, Internet use, political efficacy, partisan strength

Abstract

Since the 2008 United States presidential election, more than half of all adults have been using the Internet to stay informed about politics. Two perspectives have been advanced to explain the impact of online news use on democratic engagement: The “instrumental” view asserts that online news use has a direct effect on political and civic participation, and the “psychological” view asserts that the effects of online news use are contingent on individuals’ preexisting psychological dispositions. Both perspectives were examined using national survey data from the 2008 and 2012 American National Election Studies Time Series survey (ANES) and the 2008 National Annenberg Election Survey (NAES). The results from the three surveys provide support for both direct and contingent effects of online news use on democratic engagement.

Author Biography

Michael Chan, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Michael Chan is an Assistant Professor at the School of Journalism & Communication, Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research examines the cross-cultural and intergroup aspects of communication at the individual and national level, with particular focus on the fields of new media, journalism, mass communication and political communication.

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Published

2014-04-15

Issue

Vol. 8 (2014)

Section

Articles

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