Does the Internet Matter for Electio? Examining Perceived Internet Effects Across Five Danish Elections 2007–2022

ABSTRACT

This article provides a comprehensive longitudinal survey of Internet effects in Danish elections, spanning across 15 years and covering five Danish national elections. Rather than utilizing an institutional macro‐level approach, this article adopts a micro‐level perspective by investigating individually perceived effects, assessed through survey questionnaires. The investigation draws on theoretical concepts of media affordances, political engagement, and efficacy as predictors for perceived effects as well as including the influence of demographic factors. This article examines two categories of perceived effects, internal and external. Internal effects are defined as increased political competence and knowledge, what can also be called personal effects. The study reveals a rise in respondents' acknowledgment of the Internet's role in enhancing political awareness and influencing opinions and party choices. Despite positive trends, a significant portion of respondents indicated no discernible impact, indicating a divergence in citizenry between active Internet engagement and indifference to its possibilities and effects. External effects, focusing on the Internet's impact on the election agenda and results, exhibited an upward trajectory over time. However, perceptions regarding the role of social media showed less pronounced increases, with evidence of stagnation or decline in positive perceptions in 2022. This phenomenon may indicate a perceived plateau in the Internet's effects or reflect divergent viewpoints among respondents regarding its democratic ramifications. It is noteworthy that respondents perceive larger internal effects compared to external effects, a pattern that also influences subsequent analyses where demographics and other predictors are used to establish models for likely effects on citizens.