Every little helps: Cyber-campaigning in the 2007 Irish general election

Abstract

This article explores the impact of cyber-campaigning on candidates' electoral performance in the 2007 Irish general election. As such, we investigate the extent to which previous findings in this area are generalizable, testing them in a new political context. Our methodological approach seeks to deal with some of the critiques that have been leveled against the validity of previous findings regarding the electoral effects of cyber-campaigns. We do so by controlling for levels of candidate campaign expenditure, as well the extent to which candidates were viewed as 'favorites' or 'outsiders' to win seats during the campaign. Finally, we present the first analysis in this field of whether the effects of cyber-campaigning are constant across constituencies with varying technological profiles. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.