celkem zajímavá studie
The New Face of Digital Populism
Over the last decade, populist parties have been growing in
strength across Western Europe. These parties are defined by
their opposition to immigration and concern for protecting
national and European culture, sometimes using the language
of human rights and freedom. On economic policy, they are
often critical of globalisation and the effects of international
capitalism on workers’ rights. This is combined with ‘antiestablishment’
rhetoric and language. Often called ‘populist
extremist parties’ or ‘the new right’, these parties do not fit
easily into the traditional political divides.
Their growth over the past decade has been remarkable.
Formerly on the political fringes, these parties now command
significant political weight in the parliaments of Austria,
Bulgaria, Denmark, Hungary, the Netherlands, Sweden,
Latvia and Slovakia, as well as the European Parliament. In
some countries, they are the second or third largest party and
are seen as necessary members of many conservative coalition
governments.
The growth of these movements is mirrored online.
Populist parties are adept at using social media to amplify
their message, recruit and organise. Indeed, the online social
media following on Facebook and elsewhere for many of these
groups often dwarfs their formal membership, consisting
of tens of thousands of sympathisers and supporters. This
mélange of virtual and real-world political activity is the
way millions of people — especially young people — relate to
politics in the twenty-first century. This nascent, messy and
more ephemeral form of politics is becoming the norm for a
younger, digital generation.
Yet despite their growth and obvious importance no
one has ever investigated these online supporters. This is the
first quantitative investigation into these digital populists,
based on over 10,000 survey responses from 11 countries and
includes data on who they are, what they think, and what
motivates them to shift from virtual to real-world activism.
It also provides new insight into how populism — and politics
and political engagement more generally — is changing as a
result of social media.
http://www.demos.co.uk/files/Demos_OSIPOP_Book-web_03.pdf