Controlling the Discourse: Who Steers Conversation on Social Media?

• In Event: Issue and Constituent Engagement in Online Congressional Communication

Brief Overview

We investigate the degree to which elites drive conversation on social media. We find that it is politically interested non-elites that are most responsible for shaping discussion, while elites remain the main source of information dissemination.

Authors

• Sean Kates, University of Pennsylvania

• Zhanna Terechshenko, New York University

• Jonathan Nagler, New York University

• Joshua A. Tucker, New York University