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Social Networks and Protest Participation: Evidence from 130 Million Twitter Users

Author

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  • Jennifer M. Larson
  • Jonathan Nagler
  • Jonathan Ronen
  • Joshua A. Tucker

Abstract

Pinning down the role of social ties in the decision to protest has been notoriously elusive, largely due to data limitations. Social media and their global use by protesters offer an unprecedented opportunity to observe real‐time social ties and online behavior, though often without an attendant measure of real‐world behavior. We collect data on Twitter activity during the 2015 Charlie Hebdo protest in Paris, which, unusually, record real‐world protest attendance and network structure measured beyond egocentric networks. We devise a test of social theories of protest that hold that participation depends on exposure to others' intentions and network position determines exposure. Our findings are strongly consistent with these theories, showing that protesters are significantly more connected to one another via direct, indirect, triadic, and reciprocated ties than comparable nonprotesters. These results offer the first large‐scale empirical support for the claim that social network structure has consequences for protest participation.

Suggested Citation

  • Jennifer M. Larson & Jonathan Nagler & Jonathan Ronen & Joshua A. Tucker, 2019. "Social Networks and Protest Participation: Evidence from 130 Million Twitter Users," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 63(3), pages 690-705, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:amposc:v:63:y:2019:i:3:p:690-705
    DOI: 10.1111/ajps.12436
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Leopoldo Fergusson & Carlos Molina, 2020. "Facebook Causes Protests," HiCN Working Papers 323, Households in Conflict Network.
    2. González, Felipe, 2020. "Collective action in networks: Evidence from the Chilean student movement," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    3. Alejandra Agustina Martínez, 2023. "Raise your Voice! Activism and Peer Effects in Online Social Networks," Working Papers 277, Red Nacional de Investigadores en Economía (RedNIE).
    4. Geraci, Andrea & Nardotto, Mattia & Reggiani, Tommaso & Sabatini, Fabio, 2022. "Broadband Internet and social capital," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    5. Alejandra Agustina Martínez, 2023. "Raise your voice! Activism and peer effects in online social networks," Discussion Papers 2023-05, Nottingham Interdisciplinary Centre for Economic and Political Research (NICEP).
    6. Francesco Giavazzi & Felix Iglhaut & Giacomo Lemoli & Gaia Rubera, 2020. "Terrorist Attacks, Cultural Incidents and the Vote for Radical Parties: Analyzing Text from Twitter," Working Papers 659, IGIER (Innocenzo Gasparini Institute for Economic Research), Bocconi University.
    7. Francesco Giavazzi & Felix Iglhaut & Giacomo Lemoli & Gaia Rubera, 2020. "Terrorist Attacks, Cultural Incidents and the Vote for Radical Parties: Analyzing Text from Twitter," NBER Working Papers 26825, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Savolainen, Sonja & Saarinen, Ville P. & Chen, Ted Hsuan Yun, 2024. "Social Media Affordances Sustain Social Movements Facing Repression: Evidence from Climate Activism," SocArXiv p4yvk, Center for Open Science.
    9. Giavazzi, Francesco & Lemoli, Giacomo & Rubera, Gaia & Iglhaut, Felix, 2020. "Terrorist Attacks, Cultural Incidents and the Vote for Radical Parties: Analyzing Text from Twitter," CEPR Discussion Papers 14455, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    10. Zhou, Yonghong, 2023. "Influence of political movement on fields of study: Evidence from Hong Kong," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    11. William O’Brochta, 2021. "Technology and Collective Action Event Size: Lessons for India," Studies in Indian Politics, , vol. 9(1), pages 118-123, June.
    12. RezaeeDaryakenari, Babak, 2024. "Who Rallies Round the Flag? The Impact of the US Sanctions on Iranians’ Attitude Toward the Government," SocArXiv r7ae4, Center for Open Science.

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