External publications

Slacktivism or efficiency-increased activism? Online political participation and the Brazilian Ficha Limpa anti-corruption campaign

Breuer, Anita / Jacob Groshek
External Publications (2014)

in: Anita Breuer / Yanina Welp (eds.), Digital technologies for democratic governance in Latin America: opportunities and risks, Abingdon: Routledge, 165-182

ISBN: 978-0-415-83613-5

Communication via the Internet and online social networking sites (SNS) has come to form an inherent part of most political campaigns today. Yet the potential of online activism to bring about political change is debated. While its advocates insist on its positive contribution to participatory democracy, critics dismiss it as a “slacktivist” activity that carries little societal benefit. Our analysis of the Brazilian anti-corruption campaign Ficha Limpa, which was primarily promoted through social media channels, picks up on this debate. After discussing the campaign’s impact on the macro- and meso-level of the Brazilian political system, we proceed to analyze its impact on the micro level of individual participation using original survey data concerning citizens’ online and offline behaviour in the context of this campaign. We find that the low-effort online activities typically offered by entertainment orientated SNS contribute little to increase political participation. In turn, targeted campaigning by e-advocacy groups has the potential to increase the political engagement of individuals with low levels of political interest and can help to produce the switch from online to offline participation among individuals with high levels of political interest.

About the IDOS author

Breuer, Anita

Political Scientist

Further IDOS experts

Fiedler, Charlotte

Political Scientist

Gutheil, Lena

Cultural Anthropology

Leininger, Julia

Political Scientist

Li, Hangwei

Political Science

Lorch, Jasmin

Political Science

Mross, Karina

Political Science

Wingens, Christopher

Political Science

Contact

Cornelia Hornschild
Publication Coordinator

E-mail Cornelia.Hornschild@idos-research.de
Phone +49 (0)228 94927-135
Fax +49 (0)228 94927-130

[Translate to English:] Photo: Alexandra Fante, Bibliothekarin/Open Access-Koordinatorin

Alexandra Fante
Librarian/ Open Access Coordinator

E-Mail Alexandra.Fante@idos-research.de
Telefon +49 (0)228 94927-321
Fax +49 (0)228 94927-130