Descripción del proyecto
Una nueva era digital en las campañas políticas
La función de la tecnología digital en las campañas políticas modernas está aumentando, lo que da lugar a una serie de cuestiones relacionadas con el proceso electoral y el comportamiento de los votantes. Los mensajes de los partidos políticos basados en datos son más directos y están más orientados a grupos objetivo individuales. Sin embargo, la desinformación sobre la manipulación de los votantes también va en aumento. El objetivo del proyecto DiCED, financiado con fondos europeos, es estudiar la repercusión que las nuevas técnicas de campaña tienen en los procesos democráticos. Primero, el proyecto definirá campañas basadas en datos y, después, diseñará un nuevo índice para comparar las técnicas basadas en datos utilizadas por las partes. Por último, evaluará la repercusión de estos nuevos métodos en los principales agentes políticos y las consecuencias a largo plazo para la democracia liberal.
Objetivo
Overview: This project will set a new agenda and direction for the study of political campaigns. It will examine whether and how new digital technologies are transforming election campaigns and citizen behaviour in new and established democracies. More specifically, it will assess claims that democracies are now entering a new data-driven era of political campaigning that is profoundly reconfiguring how campaigns’ are run, who runs them and their implications for the quality of voter decision-making, the vibrancy of political parties and ultimately, the future of representative democracy. It will do so in three main stages: (1) First, it will define what data-driven campaigning is and critically assess whether it forms new and distinct era of electioneering in conceptual and historical terms? In particular, it will argue that the two key traits of this new mode of campaigning are the increased individualization or micro-targeting of party messages and the automated use of misinformation to mobilize and persuade voters. (2) Based on this definition it will map the ‘supply’ of the new mode of campaigning across new and older democracies by designing an innovative new index to compare use of data-driven techniques by parties. Where is it most commonly seen and why are some parties and countries more likely to promote its growth? (3) Finally, it will assess the impact of these new methods on key political actors and assess the consequences for the longer term future of liberal democracy. Does use of these techniques help counter recent declines in voter turnout by identifying under-mobilized groups? Or, do they ensure parties focus on the already engaged, bypassing those that are harder to reach? Can data-driven campaigning improve citizen choices by giving them the information on the issues they primarily care about or does it help to increase disinformation and even manipulation of voter choices?
Ámbito científico
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
ERC-ADG - Advanced GrantInstitución de acogida
M13 9PL Manchester
Reino Unido