Decoding Partisanship On Social Media

In this article, we break summarize the academic paper "Partisanship on Social Media: In-Party Love Among American Politicians, Greater Engagement with Out-Party Hate Among Ordinary Users" from the journal Political Behavior, available here.

This study analyzed over a million tweets from American politicians to see how they talk about their own party versus the opposition on Twitter. The researchers found that while politicians generally post more positive messages about their own party, ordinary users are more likely to engage with tweets that criticize the opposing party, potentially amplifying negative partisanship on the platform.

What Did They Study?

The researchers set out to examine how partisanship plays out on Twitter among American politicians and ordinary users. They wanted to understand whether politicians express more positive feelings towards their own party or negative feelings towards the opposition in their tweets. Additionally, the study aimed to uncover how regular Twitter users engage with these partisan messages. The ultimate goal was to shed light on the dynamics of political communication on social media and its potential impact on polarization. By analyzing a vast number of tweets from political elites and user engagement data, the researchers hoped to provide insights into the complex interplay between politicians, citizens, and social media in shaping political discourse.

How Did They Perform The Study?

The researchers collected over 1.1 million tweets from 564 American political elites, including members of Congress, presidential candidates, and cabinet members, posted between 2016 and 2020. They used machine learning algorithms to classify these tweets as positive, negative, or neutral towards political parties. The team also analyzed user engagement data, such as likes and retweets, to measure how ordinary users interacted with these posts. To ensure accuracy, they employed multiple classification models and rigorous statistical analyses. The study considered various factors, including the politicians' ideological extremity and whether their party was in power or opposition, to provide a comprehensive picture of partisan behavior on Twitter.

What Did They Find?

The study revealed a surprising contrast between politicians' behavior and user engagement. Contrary to popular belief, most politicians posted more positive messages about their own party than negative ones about the opposition. However, ideologically extreme politicians and those in the opposition party were more likely to criticize their rivals. The most striking finding was that ordinary users engaged more with tweets attacking the opposing party, giving these negative messages greater visibility and reach. This creates an "illusion of polarization," where the political climate appears more hostile than it actually is based on most politicians' behavior. The study also found that powerful politicians with large followings, like Donald Trump and Joe Biden, tended to be more negative in their tweets.

Takeaways

• Be aware of the gap between politicians' actual messaging and what gains traction on social media.
• Consider how negative messaging, though less frequent, may receive disproportionate attention.
• Understand the importance of social media dynamics in shaping public perception of political discourse.
• Recognize the need for further research on these patterns across different platforms and countries.
• Consider the potential role of algorithms in amplifying negative content.
• Acknowledge the complex interplay between political communication, user behavior, and social media environment.
• Adopt a nuanced approach to online political engagement, considering both content creation and user interaction patterns.

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