Taking Political Engagement Online: An Experimental Analysis of Asynchronous Discussion Forums
| Date | 01 December 2013 |
| Author | Peter John,Graham Smith,Patrick Sturgis |
| Published date | 01 December 2013 |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1467-9248.2012.00989.x |
| Subject Matter | Article |
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P O L I T I C A L S T U D I E S : 2 0 1 3 VO L 6 1 , 7 0 9 – 7 3 0
doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9248.2012.00989.x
Taking Political Engagement Online:
An Experimental Analysis of Asynchronous
Discussion Forums
Graham Smith
Peter John
Patrick Sturgis
University of Westminster
University College London
University of Southampton
In this study we analyse the effect of participation in an online asynchronous discussion forum on the direction and
magnitude of opinion change and policy preferences relating to youth antisocial behaviour among a large sample of
online panel members. Panel members were randomly assigned to conditions that manipulated: (1) the amount of
information about youth antisocial behaviour provided; and (2) the extent to which panel members were able to
communicate with one another. We find that engagement in online discussion forums can lead to modest shifts in
preferences among those who choose to contribute to the discussion. However, because those who choose to engage
in this way are a small and self-selecting minority who make little use of background information, questions remain
about the utility of online discussion forums as effective means of engaging citizens to generate informed inputs into
the policy process.
Keywords: online forums; asychronous; randomised controlled trial; opinion change;
deliberation
Among both political scientists and policy makers, there is growing interest in democratic
innovations that aim to increase and deepen citizen participation in the political decision-
making process (Fung, 2003; Smith, 2009; Warren, 2009). There is a widespread belief
among many policy makers and reformers that providing opportunities for citizens to
deliberate about matters of public concern is an effective response to high levels of
disillusionment and disenchantment with the political process (Dalton, 2004; Stoker, 2006).
Developments in information and communication technology (ICT) open up new possi-
bilities for designing democratic innovations, particularly since they challenge traditional
barriers to citizen participation associated with time and space (Dahl, 1998, p. 110) and
hence reduce the costs of participation. Citizens can engage with authorities and other
citizens at their own pace and participation can be ‘scaled up’: large numbers can be
involved without incurring the costs of physically bringing people together (Price, 2006,
p. 6).While there is much debate regarding the potential of e-democracy, relatively little is
currently known about the nature and impact of political interaction in the type of online
environments organised or sponsored by public authorities.
We report here the results of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) designed to investigate
the effects of different aspects of participation in an online discussion forum. In particular
our research design enables us to offer experimental evidence on the inclusiveness of
participation and the extent of opinion change as a function of: (1) the provision of
information; and (2) the opportunity to communicate with other participants.The structure
of the RCT enables us to make an evaluation of whether there is any ‘added value’ of
interaction as compared to simply providing information to participants as is the case in
© 2012 The Authors. Political Studies © 2012 Political Studies Association
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G R A H A M S M I T H , P E T E R J O H N A N D P A T R I C K S T U R G I S
most online consultation exercises. We begin with a brief review of existing research on
innovations in e-democracy. We then present an explanation of our experimental design,
method of analysis and results, followed by a discussion of the implications of our findings.
Existing Research on the Developing Policy and Technological Context
With the rapid pace of change in ICT come new opportunities for citizen engagement in
the political process. However, public authorities have been tentative in integrating new
information and communication technologies (Pratchett, 2006). While there has been
considerable investment aimed at improving the efficiency of service delivery, less emphasis
has been placed on designing new modes of political engagement. E-government has taken
priority over e-democracy. Public authorities have tended to view the internet as a ‘one way
publishing and distribution network rather than as a many-to-many medium’ (Sack, 2005,
p. 266). As David Schlosberg and colleagues note,‘The majority of government uses of the
internet provide information to citizens without offering the opportunity for interaction
and the accountability that follows from such interaction’ (Schlosberg et al., 2006, p. 210).
But application of digital technologies that aim to enhance citizen engagement in the
political process is increasing. As Peter Shane suggests, ‘Although not yet a routine feature
of all Western democracies, online consultations are no longer an exotic experience either’
(Shane, 2012, p. 3; see also Coleman and Blumler, 2009).
Where public authorities (at all levels) attempt to use ICT to engage the public in the
policy process, it is typically rather basic in nature: provision of consultation documents or
background information on a dedicated webpage with an invitation to provide responses,
either via an email address or a comment box on the page. In other words, there is no
interactivity between participating citizens. When authorities have taken the next step to
promote interactivity between citizens such that they can respond to one another’s
contributions – and possibly those of moderators and/or public officials – it is asynchronous
discussion forums that are the favoured technology.
Analysis of online discussion forums (officially organised and otherwise) has been heavily
influenced by theoretical work on deliberative democracy, focusing in particular on the
extent to which free and fair interaction is realised in such environments (for example,
Coleman and Blumler, 2009; Janssen and Kies, 2005; Rhee and Kim, 2009; Wodak and
Wright, 2006;Wright and Street, 2007). Evidence is mixed, often pointing in contradictory
directions. Vince Price, for example, argues that computer-mediated discussions can be
more intimate, lead to greater self-disclosure and enhance inclusiveness:
The quasi-anonymity and text-based nature of electronic group discussion, for instance, might
actually reduce patterns of social dominance. Studies demonstrate that online discussions are
generally much more egalitarian than face-to-face encounters, with reduced patterns of
individual dominance and increased contributions by low-status participants (Price, 2006, p. 7).
Stephen Coleman, in contrast, points towards the unruly nature of certain forums:
The environment and structure of communication has a significant effect upon its content;
synchronous chat rooms and peer-generated Usenet groups are no more indicative of the
scope for online public deliberation than loud, prejudiced and banal political arguments in
crowded pubs are indicative of the breadth of offline political discussion (Coleman, 2004, p. 6).
© 2012 The Authors. Political Studies © 2012 Political Studies Association
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There is much concern that political discussions – particularly on controversial issues –
degenerate, with excessive ‘flaming’ (offensive contributions) and other forms of incivility,
militating against more widespread participation (Docter and Dutton, 1998).
Such diversity in perspective can to some extent be accounted for by substantial
differences in institutional design: generalisations about online behaviour often fail to
recognise the particular characteristics of different online environments. As Scott Wright
and John Street argue,‘the democratic possibilities opened up (or closed off) by websites are
not a product of the technology as such, but of the ways in which it is constructed, by the
way it is designed’ (Wright and Street, 2007, p. 850). In analysing developments in online
forums, Davy Janssen and Raphaël Kies highlight two design characteristics that have a
significant impact on the form of interaction between citizens. The first is the ‘technical
architecture’, in particular whether the online discussion space is real time (chat rooms) or
asynchronous (email list; newsgroups; bulletin boards; forums).They contend:‘It is generally
recognized that the former are spaces that attract “small talk” and jokes, while the latter
constitute a more favourable place for the appearance of some form of rational-critical
debate’ (Janssen and Kies, 2005, p. 321). The second characteristic is the manner in which
online discussion spaces are organised, with a number of variables likely to have an effect
on the quality of engagement, including: whether or not participants are required to
identify themselves; limits to openness and freedom of speech; the existence and form of
moderation; and the extent to which participants are able to set the agenda for debate
(Janssen and Kies, 2005, pp. 321–2).
A consistent conclusion among those evaluating the deliberative quality of officially
organised asynchronous online discussion forums is the degree to which those participating
in such environments are unlikely to be representative of the wider population and that
interaction is often limited to a small number of participants.This raises obvious questions
about the democratic legitimacy that should be...
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