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Communicating in 140 Characters or Less: Congressional Adoption of Twitter in the 111th Congress

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 January 2013

Jacob R. Straus ,
Matthew Eric Glassman ,
Colleen J. Shogan  and
Susan Navarro Smelcer
Jacob R. Straus
Affiliation:
Congressional Research Service
Matthew Eric Glassman
Affiliation:
Congressional Research Service
Colleen J. Shogan
Affiliation:
Congressional Research Service
Susan Navarro Smelcer
Affiliation:
Emory University
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Abstract

Recently, new electronic technologies have supplemented older mechanisms of communication between members of Congress and their constituents. These technologies have enhanced members' options for communication, both with constituents and other interested parties. This research examines member use of one specific electronic communication medium: Twitter. Using original data to examine patterns of use, two models predict the probability of a member adopting Twitter based on political, personal, and district-level variables.

Type
Features
Information
PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 46 , Issue 1 , January 2013 , pp. 60 - 66
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 2013

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