Meesuwan, Sanyarat
(2016)
The Effect Of Internet Use On Political
Participation: Could The Internet Increase
Political Participation In Thailand?
International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies (IJAPS), 12 (2).
pp. 57-82.
ISSN ISSN: 1823-6243
Abstract
The Internet, as part of information and communication technology,
provides citizens with access to information, and allows them to interact
with others in online communities. It could also increase the users' political
potentials by decreasing the costs and resources' restraints. Given these
benefits, this research asks whether or not Internet use would increase
political participation in Thailand. Using the 2010 Asian Barometer data
conducted in Thailand, the relationship between Internet use and political
participation was tested. The results indicate that Internet use positively
correlated with political participation, after controlling for individual
resource measurement, namely demographic characteristics, education
attainment, socio-economic status, political efficacy, and organisational
skills. The odds of the respondents, who used the Internet to contact news
media to solve their problems with government officials or policies, and to
get together with others to raise an issue or sign a petition, were greater
than those who did not use the Internet. The findings suggest that the
Internet had mobilised people to actively engage in political participation.
Policy recommendations aiming at promoting Internet use to encourage
political participation and to strengthen the Thai democratic system as a
whole are listed at the end of the research.
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