Election times: special times?

This chapter explores the effects of media exposure on political participation during an election across different generations by also looking at the role of political engagement: interest, knowledge, and efficacy. It investigates whether elections are indeed special when it comes to media exposure and it’s mobilizing effects on political participation. Election times are important to democracy. To make a competitive model of democracy work, citizens are expected to be aware of political issues relevant for the election, to have knowledge about the track record of the incumbent government, and to be informed about the political alternatives. Political engagement also mediates the relationship between political social media exposure and campaign participation. Election campaign participation among our youngest generations shows a positive pattern according to both a competitive and a participatory model of democracy. It remains to be seen if their activity level stabilizes or even increases when first-time voters have established stable patterns of campaign information-gathering through the use of media.