When Articulating Populist Dichotomies is Paramount: Exploring the Effects of Explicit and Implicit Populist Styles on User Engagement in Turkish Election Tweets

Join us for an insightful presentation by Tamás Tóth, PhD as he delves into the dynamics of populism on social media, with a focus on the 2023 Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections. Analyzing over 4,000 tweets from candidates and political parties, this research explores how explicit and implicit populist styles impact user engagement on Twitter.

Through negative binomial regressions, Dr. Tóth’s findings reveal that tweets employing an explicit populist style—articulating a clear dichotomy between “the people” and “harmful others”—garner significantly more engagement in the form of favorites, retweets, and replies. In contrast, implicit forms of populism, while sometimes effective, are less consistent in driving interaction.

This event is a must for anyone interested in political communication, social media strategies, and the broader implications of populist rhetoric in online spaces. Don’t miss this chance to explore the mechanics of digital engagement in political discourse.