Leaders Online: Social Media Communication by Political Leaders Across Regime Types

Abstract

How do the strategic political incentives of different regime types influence the structure and sentiment of social media communication by heads of government? Political leaders increasingly view social media as an essential way to connect with their citizens. However, differences in accountability structures and control over information, which vary with the level of democracy, systematically influence the intended audience and purpose of this communication. We analyze the structure and sentiment of over 30,000 French and English language tweets made by 24 political leaders in Sub-Saharan Africa between 2018 and 2021. We find evidence that leaders of more democratic countries tweet more frequently, are less likely to engage directly with specific users, and are more measured in their communication style.