Description
Social Media occupies a central role in the future of American political communication. Twitter specifically has emerged as a unique public space where digital political discourse can emerge. Past research has attempted to utilize Twitter data in order to make predictions and generalizations about political behavior. The presidential election of 2016 was used as a case study in an exploratory analysis of online political deliberation. This study seeks to understand the various ways messages can diffuse through political social networks. The Multilevel Model of Meme Diffusion (M³D) was used as a framework for understanding memetic diffusion. Data was analyzed using a mixed-methods approach. Analysis revealed that online communities can develop around political groups online. Sentiment analysis and social network analysis provided additional support for the presence of online communities. A form-based typology of election memes was developed. This research seeks to validate and expand upon the social network and meme levels of M³D.
