Social Media, Quality of Democracy, and Citizen Satisfaction with Democracy in New Democracies

• In Event: Information and Democracy

Abstract

The last decade has been tumultuous for democracy. While the late 20th and early 21st century saw many former autocratic nations democratize, the previous ten years have been wrought with stagnation and backsliding. In another pattern, internet access and social media use have grown exponentially, allowing users to connect with people locally and globally. Previous research posits that this technology could promote liberalization by spreading democratic norms and diffusing protests for democracy. However, autocrats and extremist groups have also found ways to use the internet for their benefit. This study will explore two questions related to these broader patterns. First, it investigates whether social media users' satisfaction with democracy relies on the quality of democracy in their country. The second examines the relationship in the context of democratic backsliding. The study uses survey data from 61 countries covering 309 country-years. The findings show that social media use correlates with higher satisfaction with democracy when their country's democracy is more robust. Further, as backsliding occurs, social media use correlates with lower satisfaction with democracy than if democratic deepening occurs. Thus, the findings provide evidence that social media could potentially strengthen democracy in the face of autocratic challenges in new democracies.

Authors

• Matthew Alan Placek, University of South Carolina Upstate

• Andrew Klassen, Charles Darwin University