Mobilisierung durch das Internet? Ergebnisse einer empirischen Längsschnittuntersuchung zum Einfluss des Internets auf die politische Kommunikation der Bürger

Starting point of the study is the question of what effects the Internet may have on individual political communication of citizens. The possible hypotheses vary from a general mobilization over growing differences in political communication (“digital divide”) to a general decline of political activities. The authors conducted a panel survey among inhabitants of two German cities to answer this question. It can be shown that people don’t drive back their political offline-communication after getting access to the Internet, the new possibilities of online communication are employed complementary. The most effectful means of political communication on the Internet are those of interpersonal communication (e-mail, chat). An analysis of variance shows that the Internet accounts for a significant amount of the increase in political communication of Internet users. This findings suggests that the Internet may change the individual evaluation of costs and benefits of some means of communication