The Value of a Like: Facebook, Viral Posts, and Campaign Finance in US Congressional Elections
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2023 |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
Texto Completo: | https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i3.6661 |
Resumo: | Social media has become a dominant force in American political life, from Twitter and Facebook to newer rivals like Instagram and TikTok. As American elections have also grown increasingly expensive, campaigns have sought to capitalize on social media success through campaign donations. The most successful social media posts can garner thousands of likes and millions of views focusing attention on the candidate and presenting a fundraising opportunity. In this study, I examine the impact of viral posts (those receiving more than 5,000 likes or those in the top 1% of likes) on the number and amount of campaign donations a candidate receives on the date of the post. Combining social media data from Facebook and campaign finance donations during the 2018 and 2020 House of Representatives elections, I find that viral posts can dramatically increase a candidate’s fundraising on those dates. This finding suggests that candidates can increase their fundraising through increased social media success. |
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The Value of a Like: Facebook, Viral Posts, and Campaign Finance in US Congressional Electionscampaign finance; campaign fundraising; congress; elections; political campaigns; social media; US elections; viral postsSocial media has become a dominant force in American political life, from Twitter and Facebook to newer rivals like Instagram and TikTok. As American elections have also grown increasingly expensive, campaigns have sought to capitalize on social media success through campaign donations. The most successful social media posts can garner thousands of likes and millions of views focusing attention on the candidate and presenting a fundraising opportunity. In this study, I examine the impact of viral posts (those receiving more than 5,000 likes or those in the top 1% of likes) on the number and amount of campaign donations a candidate receives on the date of the post. Combining social media data from Facebook and campaign finance donations during the 2018 and 2020 House of Representatives elections, I find that viral posts can dramatically increase a candidate’s fundraising on those dates. This finding suggests that candidates can increase their fundraising through increased social media success.Cogitatio Press2023-08-03info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i3.6661https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i3.6661Media and Communication; Vol 11, No 3 (2023): Social Media’s Role in Political and Societal Mobilization; 153-1632183-2439reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAPenghttps://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6661https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6661/6661Copyright (c) 2023 Michael Kowalinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessKowal, Michael2023-08-03T17:45:31Zoai:ojs.cogitatiopress.com:article/6661Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-19T20:26:13.981464Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
The Value of a Like: Facebook, Viral Posts, and Campaign Finance in US Congressional Elections |
title |
The Value of a Like: Facebook, Viral Posts, and Campaign Finance in US Congressional Elections |
spellingShingle |
The Value of a Like: Facebook, Viral Posts, and Campaign Finance in US Congressional Elections Kowal, Michael campaign finance; campaign fundraising; congress; elections; political campaigns; social media; US elections; viral posts |
title_short |
The Value of a Like: Facebook, Viral Posts, and Campaign Finance in US Congressional Elections |
title_full |
The Value of a Like: Facebook, Viral Posts, and Campaign Finance in US Congressional Elections |
title_fullStr |
The Value of a Like: Facebook, Viral Posts, and Campaign Finance in US Congressional Elections |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Value of a Like: Facebook, Viral Posts, and Campaign Finance in US Congressional Elections |
title_sort |
The Value of a Like: Facebook, Viral Posts, and Campaign Finance in US Congressional Elections |
author |
Kowal, Michael |
author_facet |
Kowal, Michael |
author_role |
author |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Kowal, Michael |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
campaign finance; campaign fundraising; congress; elections; political campaigns; social media; US elections; viral posts |
topic |
campaign finance; campaign fundraising; congress; elections; political campaigns; social media; US elections; viral posts |
description |
Social media has become a dominant force in American political life, from Twitter and Facebook to newer rivals like Instagram and TikTok. As American elections have also grown increasingly expensive, campaigns have sought to capitalize on social media success through campaign donations. The most successful social media posts can garner thousands of likes and millions of views focusing attention on the candidate and presenting a fundraising opportunity. In this study, I examine the impact of viral posts (those receiving more than 5,000 likes or those in the top 1% of likes) on the number and amount of campaign donations a candidate receives on the date of the post. Combining social media data from Facebook and campaign finance donations during the 2018 and 2020 House of Representatives elections, I find that viral posts can dramatically increase a candidate’s fundraising on those dates. This finding suggests that candidates can increase their fundraising through increased social media success. |
publishDate |
2023 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2023-08-03 |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i3.6661 https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i3.6661 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i3.6661 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6661 https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6661/6661 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
Copyright (c) 2023 Michael Kowal info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
rights_invalid_str_mv |
Copyright (c) 2023 Michael Kowal |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
application/pdf |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Cogitatio Press |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Cogitatio Press |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
Media and Communication; Vol 11, No 3 (2023): Social Media’s Role in Political and Societal Mobilization; 153-163 2183-2439 reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação instacron:RCAAP |
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Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
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RCAAP |
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RCAAP |
reponame_str |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
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