The social media president: Barack Obama and the politics of digital engagement

摘要

As inquiry into the role of emerging media in politics has gained traction since the pivotal 2008 elections, the critical questions have extended beyond investigation of what strategies are employed, to inquire about what novel uses of digital media mean for citizens and for democracy. While scholars have, as of late, turned to campaigns to ask questions of this nature, governance has remained woefully understudied. The Social Media President productively brings together political communication's recent emphasis on the role of social media in presidential campaigning with an oft-overlooked study of the role of technology in governance. In doing so, it illuminates the types of engagement that are occurring within systems of federal government, investigates the reasons they occur, and interrogates and critiques their productive value for democratic culture.