Dommett, K. orcid.org/0000-0003-0624-6610 (2020) Roadblocks to interactive digital adoption? Elite perspectives of party practices in the United Kingdom. Party Politics, 26 (2). pp. 165-175. ISSN 1354-0688
Abstract
Digital technology has often been heralded for its capacity to facilitate more interactive forms of political engagement. In the party context, many early studies found little evidence of this practice, but more recent citizen-focused interventions suggest the emergence of a more interactive approach. This article responds to such findings by asking whether party elites are embracing interactive digital tools and what explains current practices. This article conducts case studies of two parties within the United Kingdom – The Labour Party and the Green Party. Interviews are used to examine attitudes and practices in two different areas of party activity: electoral campaigning and internal governance. While there is little evidence of elite interest in the interactive potential of digital tools in the former, there is more evidence of interest in the latter area, even though barriers exist that frustrate the enactment of these ideas. Exploring the significance of parties’ objectives and organizational traits, this article examines explanations for these outcomes and, in so doing, helps scholars and practitioners alike to understand, identify and tackle barriers to the adoption of interactive digital tools by party elites.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2018 The Author(s). This is an author-produced version of a paper subsequently published in Party Politics. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. Article available under the terms of the CC-BY-NC-ND licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). |
Keywords: | digital; elites; interaction; participation; political parties |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Department of Politics and International Relations (Sheffield) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number Economic and Social Research Council ES/N01667X/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 04 Jan 2018 11:29 |
Last Modified: | 19 Apr 2021 16:24 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | SAGE Publications |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1177/1354068818761196 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:125651 |
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Licence: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0