Working Paper: NBER ID: w19029
Authors: Filipe R. Campante; Ruben Durante; Francesco Sobbrio
Abstract: We investigate the causal impact of broadband Internet on political participation using data from Italy. We show that this impact varies across different forms of political engagement and over time. Initially, broadband had a negative effect on turnout in national elections, driven by increased abstention of ideologically extreme voters. Meanwhile, however, broadband fostered other forms of online and offline participation. Over time, the negative effect was reverted due to the emergence of new political entrepreneurs who used the Internet to convert the initial "exit" back into "voice". Overall, these nuanced effects underscore the general equilibrium dynamic induced by the Internet.
Keywords: broadband internet; political participation; Italy; Five Star Movement
JEL Codes: D72; L82; L86
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| broadband internet access (L96) | electoral turnout (K16) |
| broadband internet access (L96) | electoral performance of the Five Star Movement (M5S) (D79) |
| broadband internet access (L96) | participation in local grassroots protests and referenda (D72) |
| initial decline in electoral turnout (K16) | positive influence on political mobilization and participation (D72) |