Pursuing Change or Pursuing Credit? Litigation and Credit Claiming on Social Media

Abstract

Interest groups often post about their judicial advocacy on social media. We argue that they do so for two main reasons. First, providing information about the courts on social media builds the group’s credibility as a source of information with policymakers, media and the public. Second, social media provides a way to claim credit for litigation activity and outcomes, which can increase membership and aid in fundraising. Using original datasets of millions of tweets and Facebook posts by interest groups, we provide evidence that interest groups use social media for public education and to credit claim for their litigation activity.

Exploring Interest Group Social Media Activity on Facebook and Twitter

“…Like other political actors, such as federal political candidates, interest groups use social media platforms strategically, based on their goals, audiences, and the platforms' features (Hemphill et al, 2013;Russell, 2020;Gunderson et al, 2023). While the specific strategic goals and audiences may differ between political candidates running for (re-)election and an interest group communicating to its members and allies, social media offers political elites of all types a way to achieve their objectives.…”