The Internet - Political Turn-On or Turn-off?

John Curtice

Strathclyde University/

National Centre for Social Research

The Project

Modules on British Social Attitudes 2003 and 2005; plus previous info from 2000

Examine relationship between internet use and (1) political engagement, (2) social capital

Main N=3297 (2003); 3167 (2005)2005 module fielded after general election

The Structure

Has access to the internet helped to increase the political engagement of individual voters?

What role did the internet play in the dissemination of information in the 2005 election?

A turned on voter…

…trusts politicians &

government…participates in politics

Why might internet turn people on?

Greater transparency and availability of information

Lower cost - do it from homeLower cost - easier to organiseEasier to find fellow adherents

The Problem

If at one point in time internet users are more trusting and/or active…

…is that because they use the internetor, because they were more trusting

and/or active in the first place?

Trust by Length of Use

25 26 2527

8 97 8

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

% t

rust

alw

ays/

mo

stly

Governments Politicians

Non-User < 2 yrs 2-5 yrs > 5 yrs

System Efficacy by Use

22

16

12 12

24

17

12 13

18

13

8 9

0

5

10

15

20

25

% s

tro

ng

ly a

gre

e

MPs lose touch Parties onlyvotes

Don't matter whopower

Non-User < 2 yrs 2-5 yrs > 5 yrs

Personal Efficacy by Use

20

15

911

13 1210

9

1715

9

6

02468

101214161820

% s

tro

ng

ly a

gre

e

Have no say Voting only say Politicscomplicated

Non-user < 2 yrs 2-5 yrs > 5 yrs

MPs lose touch

79 797372

66 65

010203040

5060708090

2000 2003 2005

% a

gre

e

Non-users 00 Users 00

Politics too complicated

7468 65

5144

40

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

2000 2003 2005

% a

gre

e

Non-Users 00 Users 00

Interest in Politics

2724

34

44

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

% g

reat

dea

l/qu

ite

a lo

t

Non-User < 2 yrs 2-5 yrs > 5 yrs

Interest in Politics

27 2529

42 43 44

05

101520253035404550

2000 2003 2005

% g

reat

dea

l/qu

ite

a lo

t

Non-users 00 Users 00

Political Participation

6963

6969

33363842

11 141317

610 9

16

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Voted 05 Signedpetition

Contacted MP Gone ondemo

Non-user < 2 yrs 2-5 yrs > 5 yrs

Gone on demo

79

7

1416 16

02468

1012141618

2000 2003 2005

Non-users 00 Users 00

Contacted MP

13 1412

2321

17

0

5

10

15

20

25

2000 2003 2005

Non-users 00 Users 00

Conclusion

(Already) politically active were early internet adopters and use it as one way of pursuing their interest

But internet does not (substantially) increase how many people are politically ‘engaged’

But does this miss the point?

Argument assumes that internet only has a direct impact website -> user

Possibility of two-step flow. website -> user -> others

Fragmentation means two-step flows now only way any medium has an impact?

Acquiring information

56 5651

47

6 62

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

%

PEB Leaflet TV progNewspaper Party website Other websiteElection meeting

The Usual Suspects?

Traditional Digital

Men √ √

Educated √ √

Strong ID √ √

Interested in Politics

√ √ √ √

Election Talk

46

5 71

0

10

20

30

40

50

%

Friends etc person/phone Persuade by phoneFriends etc by email Persuade by email

Who Talks Most?

Interested in Politics 68.38

Age - (younger) 55.04

Education (more) 34.35

Strong party id 8.99

Female 5.74

Do Digital Users Talk?

Traditional User 224.24

Digital User 36.16

Conclusion

Still the case that few people use the internet to find out about politics

Those that do are mostly the usual suspects

Nevertheless digital users are particularly talkative - and so add a little more to the two-step flow of information