How social media is changing elections and politicians.

For my final paper, I want to evaluate how social media and technology have changed and are continuing to change elections as well as how it makes politicians accessible. By analyzing these pieces I can project if these changes are benefiting politics or just becoming a nuisance.

I've found a couple articles in previous posts about technology usage in regards to the election and will use those in conjunction with with these new sources. In order to predict what is going to happen in the future (and if it is good for us) one needs to thoroughly understand the past. That will be the first section of my paper and from that I will look at how elections and politicians themselves have changed to incorporate social media into their lives.

It takes technology to elect a president (http://www.businessweek.com).
This article takes a look at how technology has affected elections in the past and their predictions for what will be important in the 2012 election.

Copenhaver ventures to online world (http://chronicle.augusta.com).
This article looks at a local mayor and his use of facebook. He finds it useful to gain feedback and connect with his constituents, however this brings up an interesting problem with social media, how much feedback is too much feedback?

At this point, I have a couple paths to follow within my topic question and I may have to let the rest of my research lead me the rest of the way.

Social Media and Politics

Topic Question: What impact are social media such as Facebook or myBarackObama.com
likely to have on American politics in the future?

Research Questions:
How did social media effect the 2008 election & future elections?
How are people using social media to get involved in politics, are they getting involved or just standing on the sidelines?
How are the politicians adapting social media?
Does Social media create a more informed citizen?

Sites/Links:
Connecting with the president. (CNN article on Obama's Blackberry usage)
No president has yet to use email service while in office because it can be tracked. What does that mean for future presidents who use technology and social media?

Fireside Chats. (change.gov/youtube.com)
Obama releases fireside chats via Youtube. The president is connecting to anyone at anytime they wish to listen in. This is being picked up by many sites, and not staying just on the change.gov site.

Marketing of a President. (Harvard Business Review)
Detailing how Obama used technology and communication to win the presidency. His campaign was able to get people interested and motivated in the election. How can social media keep the momentum going.

Social Media Biz. (Socialmedia.biz)
Providing background on social media and how it makes Obama the first "two way" president.