Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
Department
Sociology
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
This study examines how Social-Networking sites were used in the 2008 presidential election with emphasis on Facebook and how this use impacted the youth vote. The 2008 election was the first in the history of elections to utilize such campaign tactics. Findings indicated that social-networking sites more than likely did have an impact on the election. Although this impact was not a direct impact, through political socialization, campaigning through Facebook did help increase awareness of election related information. Findings also indicated that a less is more strategy is better when using social-networking sites for campaigning as well as focusing messages sent through this medium to the targeted audience. Social-networking sites will likely be used in many elections to come to reach not only young voters, but voters of all ages. The use of these sites provides for a cheap, quick way to reach voters with a message that is not interpreted by a third party.
Advisor(s) or Committee Chair
Dr. Jenifer Lewis
Disciplines
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Payne, Ashley, "The New Campaign: Social Networking Sites in the 2008 Presidential Election" (2009). Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects. Paper 204.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/stu_hon_theses/204