Our new book chapter published by Lexington Books

“The Internet and the 2020 Campaign”, edited by Terri L. Towner, Jody C. Baumgartner, opens with our chapter on the role of social media before, during, and in the aftermath of political elections.

How are political campaigns making use of the Internet to organize and mobilize their ground game? To communicate their message? How are citizens making use of online sources to become informed, follow campaigns, participate, and more, and to what effect? How has the Internet affected developments in media reporting, both traditional and non-traditional, of the campaign? What other messages were available online, and what effects did these messages have had on citizens attitudes and vote choice? “The Internet and the 2020 Campaign” examines these questions in an attempt to summarize the 2020 online campaign.

“The Internet and the 2020 Campaign” opens with our chapter on the role of social media before, during, and in the aftermath of political elections. In this chapter, we discuss how the understanding of mass, real-world social and political events must now necessarily also encompass a discussion of how online technology, algorithms, and automation influence human behaviors. We present the main technological and social aspects that came into play beneath the surface of the 2020 US election.