政黨與候選人網站造訪者政治態度之探討

Who Visits Party (Candidate) Websites? Internet User and Political Attitudes

林瓊珠(Chiung-Chu Lin)

《法政學報》 25期 (2013/12) Pp. 177-205

摘要

隨著網路的普及，網路在選舉政治上所扮演的功能，已漸為各界所重視。然而網路究竟對選舉政治能產生多大影響力？隨著國外相關研究發現：僅少數選民造訪政黨或候選人網站，或以網路為其主要選舉消息來源，因此對於網路的影響力，多數持保守的看法。但多數研究也進一步指出，網路的使用對個人的政治興趣、政治參與或政治知識等重要政治態度具正向的作用。本文從選民的需求面切入，探討台北市民眾，在2010年台北市長選舉期間，網路使用的相關行為，除分析台北市選民造訪政黨（候選人）網站行為外，也進一步檢證網路使用行為對其政治態度的影響。研究結果發現，台北市選民雖然有將近七成民眾使用網路，但僅有7.8%的民眾以網路為主要消息來源。有使用網路的民眾中，僅有8.7%曾造訪政黨網站，僅13.7%造訪市長候選人網站。進一步分析，檢證網路使用行為和政治態度的關係，在控制其他因素影響下，使用網路者相對於未使用網路者，確實對提升政治興趣、政治知識和選舉參與有正向的作用。其中，曾造訪政黨（候選人）網站者在政治上是更為積極的份子，比起僅使用網路的民眾，曾造訪網站者，顯著地有更多元的選舉參與的可能性。最後，使用網路者相對於未使用網路者，顯著地會與更多人討論政治或選舉議題。

關鍵字

政黨／候選人網站 ； 政治興趣 ； 政治知識 ； 選舉參與

並列摘要

The role of the Internet in electoral politics has received much attention in the past two decades. How much influence does the Internet have on electoral politics is still under question. Some studies indicate that there are few voters visiting party/candidate website. Few use the internet as their main medium of getting electoral news. Therefore, most scholars showed reservations about the influence of the internet on electoral politics. More studies, however, further pointed out that the use of Internet has positive effect on individuals' political interest, electoral participation and political knowledge. This paper aims to study internet use during the 2010 Taipei City Mayoral election by analyzing TEDS's survey data. It, first, looks at what kinds of voters visit party/candidate website and how do they do so during the campaign period. It then examines how internet use plays a role on important political attitudes. The findings show that around 70 per cent of Taipei City voters go online, but only 8.7 per cent and 13.7 per cent among internet users had visited party and candidate websites, respectively. Internet users have more political interests, political knowledge, and electoral participation then non-users. Internet users who also visit party/candidate website are more likely to be political active. Finally, internet users do discuss political or electoral issues with more people than non-users. This provides the possibility of the two-step information flow.

並列關鍵字

party/candidate website ； political interest ； political knowledge ； electoral participation