BARACK OBAMA tapped the power of the internet like no other US presidential candidate. He recruited millions of online followers and raised over $500 million via the web. But did this “net roots” campaign break down traditional divisions in politics? Alas no, say political scientists.
“Obama recruited millions of online followers and raised over $500 million via the web”
“Real world” political activities, like writing a letter to an official or signing a petition, are known to vary with income. Almost 80 per cent of those in the wealthiest fifth of the US population get involved, compared with less than 40 per cent in the bottom fifth.
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Henry Brady at the University of California, Berkeley, has generated a similar breakdown for online activities, such as emailing politicians or donating money over the web. His survey of more than 2200 people, conducted just prior to last year’s US elections, reveals that levels of online political activity amongst the most and least wealthy Americans were over 60 per cent compared with about 10 per cent, respectively. The difference persists even when age and internet access are controlled for.
“The internet hasn’t changed the fundamental structure of politics,” says Brady, who presented his results at a recent meeting of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in Mountain View, California. However, since users of social networking websites like Facebook show less stratification by income, such sites could help break down barriers, he says.
