Social Media as a Site of Political Discourse and Grassroots Mobilization During Electoral Cycles in Latin America
Keywords:
Social media, political discourse, grassroots mobilization, electoral cycles, Latin America, political engagementAbstract
Purpose: This study investigates the role of social media platforms as spaces for political discourse and as mechanisms for grassroots mobilization during electoral cycles in Latin America.
Design/methodology/approach: The research adopts a mixed-methods design, combining quantitative content analysis of social media activity during major electoral cycles between 2018 and 2024 in five Latin American countries with qualitative interviews conducted with political campaign organizers and grassroots activists.
Findings: The findings demonstrate that social media platforms significantly shaped political discourse and strengthened grassroots mobilization efforts, particularly by increasing political engagement among younger populations. The analysis reveals platform-specific dynamics: Twitter predominantly functioned as a forum for elite political debate, while Facebook and WhatsApp played a central role in facilitating community-level organization and mobilization.
Practical implications: These results offer valuable insights for policymakers seeking to develop effective regulatory frameworks for digital political communication, as well as for civil society actors and political organizations aiming to design strategic and inclusive online engagement practices.
Originality/value: By providing a comparative, cross-national analysis of recent electoral cycles, this study contributes original empirical evidence to the literature on digital political communication and enhances understanding of how social media reshapes political participation in the Latin American context.
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