Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-2024
Abstract
Intro
Communication is understood to be a pillar of democracy. Therefore, governments around the world enact laws which make it easier for politicians to communicate with their constituents. However, some governments also restrict this ability during campaign seasons as a way of unclogging the media. In the United States, congressional election blackout dates are periods in which politicians are not allowed to engage in mass unsolicited mailing of political advertising. Because the prohibition only applies to unsolicited media, we theorize that we should see the transition from one type of communication to another.
Methods
To test this effect, we created a database containing all tweets by all Members of Congress from the last three Congresses.
Results
We find that immediately during the blackout periods, members of Congress substantially increase the number of tweets they post.
Discussion
We conclude that Members of Congress are strategic in their ability to exchange communication outlets.
Recommended Citation
Gutierrez-Mannix, C., and T. R. Gray. 2024. “ The Twitter Blackout: Do Congressional Rules Influence the Cyberworld?” Social Science Quarterly 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.13432
Publication Title
Social Science Quarterly
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.13432
Comments
"This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Gutierrez-Mannix, C., and T. R. Gray. 2024. “ The Twitter Blackout: Do Congressional Rules Influence the Cyberworld?” Social Science Quarterly 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.13432 . This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited."
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