Ok Computer? The Ambivalent Effect of Internet Exposure on Political Engagement in Swiss Direct Democratic Votes

Drawing on data from 39 surveys of popular votes in Switzerland from 1998 to 201'8 this contribution shows that Internet exposure has ambivalent implications for the `crisis of disengagement', which describes the developments that a growing number of citizens are skeptical of the political system, and that wide-spread vote abstention potentially undermines the democratic legitimacy of votes. Our theoretical framework integrates the influence of Internet exposure on polarization, trust, and political participation into one single analysis. It is argued that the de-hierarchization of communication in online networks is related to political polarization and less individual trust in the national government. At the same time, however, the activating nature of Internet usage alleviates political participation. These expectations are empirically confirmed, which leads to an overall ambivalent assessment of the political outcomes of Internet exposure. In addition, although the effects of Internet exposure are weak compared to resource-specific predictors of political engagement, such as education, they are remarkably strong compared to other media effects. Our results are more robust compared to previous studies, since only vote-specific Internet exposure is considered, exposure to other potentially influential media is controlled for and we study a time period that covers the Internet's development from a niche to a mass communication technology