The Effect of Internet Access on Political Participation for Low-Income Citizens

• In Event: Communication, Engagement, and Political Participation

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of subsidized broadband internet on voter turnout and civic engagement of low-income individuals. In 2012, Comcast, the largest home internet provider in the United States, launched a discounted broadband service for eligible low-income families in their service areas nationwide. This program remained the only internet adoption program in the nation until 2015. We employ a difference-in-differences strategy exploiting geographic and temporal variation in the availability of the high-speed, low-cost internet service. The analysis samples are constructed using data from the 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014 Voting and Registration Supplements and the 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2013 Civic Engagement Supplements to the Current Population Survey (CPS). We find no evidence that enhanced broadband internet access affected political participation among low-income individuals. Results from various internal validity checks support causal interpretation of the zero effect estimates.

Author

• BK Song, Sogang University