You are hereby invited to the MSc thesis presentation of Kim van Snippenberg on 'Unpacking personal politics incentives on X: an analysis of Dutch politicians’ posts in the context of the nitrogen policy'.
Supervisor: Dr Daniel Polman
Examinor: Prof. Dr Art Dewulf
Date: 6 December 2023
Time: 15.30-16.30 hours CET
Hybrid meeting: room 3029, Leeuwenborch;
MS Teams link: Click here to join the meeting
Abstract
Even on their personal social media accounts, politicians may act as loyal representatives of their parties. Therefore, this study investigates the personal use of X, a social media platform, by Dutch politicians within the context of the nitrogen policy. Using a methodology encompassing sentiment analysis and quantitative examination, the study investigates the emotions conveyed in the posts of political parties and politicians. Additionally, it examines the degree of personalisation in politicians’ online communication, along with the potential incentives driving this behaviour. The findings reveal a generally positive sentiment among political parties, while politicians tend to express a more nuanced range of sentiments, often leaning towards a neutral standpoint. Moreover, the research findings indicate politicians’ widespread utilisation of X to advance their party's political objectives by moderating their personalization and promoting their party's position. The quantitative analysis reveals that female politicians and party chairs use personal politics more during the nitrogen policy debate. Furthermore, an association was observed between higher electoral security and increased personalisation, similar to insecure politicians representing larger political parties. However, no statistically significant association was identified between gender, function, or political security and the level of personalisation on X concerning the nitrogen policy. These results underscore the need for comprehensive investigations that transcend topic-driven context analyses, offering a more profound understanding to unravel the underlying motivations driving politicians’ online behaviour.