Predicting Online Political Participation

• Author: Jessica T. Feezell
• Date: 01 September 2016
• DOI: 10.1177/1065912916652503
• Published date: 01 September 2016
• Subject Matter: Articles

Political Research Quarterly

2016, Vol. 69(3) 495 –509

© 2016 University of Utah

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DOI: 10.1177/1065912916652503

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Article

There is a strong relationship between political informa-

tion and political participation; the more we know about

politics, the more, and more effectively, we participate in

political activities (Delli Carpini and Keeter 1996; Luskin

1990; Milner 2002). Research about the influence of

political information on political participation centers

heavily on the settings that shape information exchange.

Settings are typically considered to be external construc-

tions that determine the opportunities and constraints of

communication. Huckfeldt and Sprague (1987) describe

the settings, or “contexts,” that influence the social net-

works from which we draw information as “structurally

imposed.” Settings such as neighborhoods, the work-

place, a church, or a volunteer group influence whom and

what people are exposed to (Scheufele et al. 2004; Verba,

Schlozman, and Brady 1995). By creating opportunities

for information exchange, these settings can be important

forums for recruiting political participation, exchanging

political information, and promoting civic engagement

(Putnam 2000; Verba, Schlozman, and Brady 1995).

This paper takes a closer look at the online setting as a

source of political information and vehicle for political

engagement. The Internet facilitates online settings that

challenge our traditional understanding of what a setting

is—or can be. For example, there is increased availability

and diversity of discussion partners in an online setting.

Social media such as Facebook allow one to aggregate a

network of people from different structural settings

together into one online setting. Similarly, Twitter facili-

tates an online setting where one can connect with friends,

colleagues, and strangers to build a new network; share

news, photos, and personal information; and even curate

subgroups of people and information through the use of

“hashtags.” Furthermore, online settings allow for infor-

mation exchange without regard for facilities, state

boundaries, time zones, or languages. Without question,

the diverse affordances of the Internet have enabled sig-

nificant changes in the opportunities and constraints of

communication as well as the level of control that indi-

viduals can exert over their informational settings. Where

traditional settings are often structurally imposed, online

settings are more actively constructed.

652503PRQXXX10.1177/1065912916652503Political Research QuarterlyFeezell

research-article2016

1University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA

Corresponding Author:

Jessica T. Feezell, Political Science, University of New Mexico, 1

University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA.

Email: jfeezell@unm.edu

Predicting Online Political Participation:

The Importance of Selection Bias and

Selective Exposure in the Online Setting

Jessica T. Feezell1

Abstract

Although we have a broad understanding of the factors that predict traditional forms of political participation, we know

comparatively less about the determinants of online political participation. Among the limited research that explores

the predictors of online political participation, news seeking is often found to be an important factor; however, many

studies fail to consider selective exposure and the distinct influence of differing types of information. In this study, I

ask, “What factors predict online participation, and what role does selective exposure play in this relationship?” Using

a nationally representative sample (N = 2,250) and a selection model to correct for biased estimates of online political

participation, I find that online political participation is not well predicted by the same resource-related determinants

that influence traditional participation; specifically, income and age are unrelated to online political participation among

Internet users. Second, I find that exposure to political information that reinforces one’s point of view predicts higher

levels of online political participation when compared with differing information or information with no point of

view. Finally, I conduct a subset analysis of partisan identifiers to examine differences in these relationships among

Republicans and Democrats.

Keywords

online participation, online setting, selective exposure, disagreement, Heckman selection model, 2010 election