Congressional social media communications: evaluating Senate Twitter usage

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand why some Senators choose to use Twitter more frequently than others. Building on past research, which explored causal factors leading to early congressional adoption, theories about why some Senators use Twitter more frequently in their daily communications strategies are developed. Design/methodology/approach A “power user” score was developed by evaluating each Senator’s clout, interactivity, and originality on Twitter. These scores are then used as the dependent variable in a regression model to evaluate which factors influence Senators becoming Twitter “power users.” Findings The study found that: constituent income is positively correlated with heavy use, but constituent education level is not; the more ideological a Senator is the more he or she will be a Twitter power user; the number of days on Twitter is a significant indicator of advanced Twitter usage; and having staff dedicated to social media is positively correlated with being a Twitter power user. Research limitations/implications All Senators in the second session of the 113th Congress (2014) were evaluated. As such, future research hope to expand the data set to additional Senators or the House of Representatives. Practical implications A better understanding of why some Senators use Twitter more than others allows insight into constituent communications strategies and the potential implications of real-time communication on representation, and the role of accountability between a Senator and his or her constituents. Originality/value The study examines constituent communication by Senators in a new, more interactive medium than previously considered. Additionally, the study places findings about Senator’s constituent communication in the broader context of representation.

U.S. Senators on Twitter: Asymmetric Party Rhetoric in 140 Characters

“…Twitter has the potential to extend discussion outside of the "iron triangle" (Shogan, 2010) and gives political actors greater autonomy over the flow of information (Gainous & Wagner, 2014). Twitter changes the norms of representation where politicians work with and respond to followers with greater speed and fewer costs (Shogan, 2010;Straus et al, 2016) but at the same time maintain credibility (Hwang, 2013). Twitter cannot build a favorable reputation, but it can lead to favorable evaluations of politicians that increase perceived credibility (Hwang, 2013).…”

“…The use of social media at large for political campaigning is increasingly commonplace in studies across political systems, and has spread from the 2008 U.S. presidential election to more regional and local levels (Auter & Fine, 2016;Bruns & Highfield, 2012;Graham, Broersma, Hazelhoff, & van 't Haar, 2013;Larsson & Moe, 2012). Social media have been integrated into studies of campaign communications (Auter & Fine, 2016;Bruns & Highfield, 2012;Evans, Cordova, & Sipole, 2014;Graham et al, 2013;Larsson & Moe, 2012), and increasingly into how Twitter is used in governance (Golbeck, Grimes, & Rogers, 2010;Honeycutt & Herring, 2009;Straus et al, 2016).…”

“…The normalization of social media, specifically Twitter, as a communication alternative bypasses traditional media, and gives senators an unfiltered and unedited opportunity to attack their political opponents. Twitter's relatively minimal costs, user control, and networked audience put politicians in control of their partisan message (Gainous & Wagner, 2014;Straus, Shogan, Williams, & Glassman, 2016).…”

#Selfie: Instagram and the United States Congress

“…Senators are significantly more likely than Representatives to use Twitter (Lassen & Brown, 2011). Indeed, a good number of Senators are actually “power users” on Twitter, meaning that they are active on the platform, they have a large following, they post original content, and they frequently interact with others (Straus, Williams, Shogan, & Glassman, 2016). Chamber-based differences predictably show up on the campaign trail, too, as research has also shown that Senatorial candidates tweet 2 times more often than candidates for the House (Gainous & Wagner, 2014, p. 91).…”

“…Still, it must be noted that other studies have failed to find a relationship between district demographics and social media use (Peterson, 2012). Factors such as the proportion of a member’s constituents with a college degree, or the proportion of a member’s constituents living in urban areas, may not do much to help us understand how a member elects to use social media (Straus et al, 2016). Given the relative newness of these technologies, it is not a surprise that many open questions about their consequences remain.…”