Scientific and subversive: The two faces of the fourth era of political campaigning

an article by Andrea Roemmele (Hertie School, Germany) and Rachel Gibson (The University of Manchester, UK) published in New Media and Society Volume 22 Issue 3 (April 2020)

Abstract

This article sets out the case that democracies are now entering a fourth phase of “data-driven” political campaigning.

Building on the existing campaigns literature, we identify several key shifts in practice that define the new phase, namely:

1. an organisational and strategic dependency on digital technology and “big data”.
2. a reliance on networked communication,
3. the individualised micro-targeting of campaign messages, and
4. the internationalisation of the campaign sphere.

Departing from prior studies, we also argue that the new phase is distinguished, by a bifurcation, into two variants – the scientific and the subversive.

While sharing a common core, these two modes differ, in that the former retains a commitment to the normative goals of campaigning, that is, to mobilise and inform voters, while the latter explicitly rejects and subverts these aims, focusing instead on demobilisation and the spread of misinformation. Both are presented as abstract or “ideal” types, although we do point out how features of each have appeared in recent election campaigns by mainstream and populist parties.

We conclude by discussing the implications of these trends for the long-term future health of democracy.

Labels:
big_data, campaigns, populism, social_media,

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