Electoral system influence on social network usage patterns of parliamentary assistants as their legislators’ stand-in: The United States, Germany, and Israel

Abstract

Social networks are generally regarded as channels through which parliamentarians establish direct contact with the public. However, do they engage in these activities personally or rather delegate them to their parliamentary assistants? This study examines the intermediary relationship between parliamentarians and the public (henceforth PAs)—seeking to understand their role in contemporary, political communications. While numerous studies have looked at types of parliamentarian contact with the public, PAs have received little scholarly attention. Adopting a comparative perspective, this study will suggest a theoretical model of the MP/PA social media work relationship, creating a new questionnaire for PAs in the US House of Representatives, German Bundestag, and Israeli Knesset, exploring whether level of parliamentarians’ involvement in social networking is influenced by working within different electoral systems: representatives elected directly (the United States), mixed (Germany), and indirectly (Israel). The study investigates the level of parliamentarians’ engagement with social media communication according to a four-category model.

Professional activists? Party activism among political staffers in parliamentary democracies

“…Communication experts help elected elites to connect with voters effectively in a mediatized political environment. They run electoral campaigns and promote the (social) media presence of elected elites on a daily basis (Askim et al, 2017;Dommett et al, 2020;Sabag Ben-Porat and Lehman-Wilzig, 2020).…”

Are Political Staffers out of Touch with Grassroots Party Members? Assessing Congruence between Professionals and Volunteers

“…Third, communication experts have a direct impact on the framing and salience of political issues towards voters (Sabag Ben-Porat and Lehman-Wilzig, 2020;Tenscher et al, 2015). Fourth, administration and support staff provide operational services to guests, personnel and elected elites.…”

“…To ensure that staffers act on their behalf during all of these activities, elected elites in parliamentary democracies prefer to recruit. Third, communication experts have a direct impact on the framing and salience of political issues towards voters (Sabag Ben-Porat and Lehman-Wilzig, 2020; Tenscher et al, 2015). Fourth, administration and support staff provide operational services to guests, personnel and elected elites.…”