Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Phd
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THE UNIVERSITY OF HULL Parties Online A Comparative Analysis of European Party Websites being a Thesis submitted for the Degree of PhD in the University of Hull by Ma Rosa Vicente-Merino (MA, Royal Holloway University of London) (June 2009) To Melania, Pedro e Irene Acknowledgements This thesis is the result of almost four years of a lot of work and effort, a period which can only be described as a succession of a series of emotional rollercoasting episodes and moves (from the North to the South: Hull, London, Paris, Toulouse). During its writing there have been the saddest but also the happiest times of my life so far. Throughout all these changes, there was something that always remained: the support of a series of women who loved me and took care of me, saving me in the darkest moments and giving me the strength and support (and on many occasions, a home!) without which at some points I would not have been able to carry on on my own. They are Irene, my little sister, who on many occasions was obliged to take the role of the elder and wiser sister and to take care of me, something which she always did regardless of how scared this change of roles might have made her. They are also Stella, Mercedes, Nadia, and Cristina, my superbe supervisor, but most of all a friend and one of the most amazing, hardworking women I've known. All of them believed in me, and in my strength, to a much higher extent than I've ever done myself and I find it difficult to put into words how deeply grateful I am to them. During the earliest times at Hull I had the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful working environment within the Department of Politics. Not only it offered the practical support needed to pursue my research and granted me with a scholarship, but it also contributed towards making things as easy and enjoyable as they could for me. The girls at the office (Claire and Pam in particular) and at the Graduate School need special mention for their attention even at times when they were most overloaded with work. Xiudian Dai is responsible for me coming into this department in the first place, as the coordinator of an exciting research project on the uses of new media by parliamentarians of which I am proud to have been part of. I would have never been where I am now without his trust on me right from the start, and for this I am sincerely grateful. With Rouven and Kerstin we were able to construct a real office environment during a few months, something especially valuable in the solitary task of writing a PhD. I shared many lunches in and outside the university with Claire, who also provided her home some nights and was a perfect host and mainly a real friend. If theses contained a section called 'anti-acknowledgments', three people would deserve a top place in there. Since such a practice does not exist, and it is not for me to start it up, the three need to be included then in the acknowledgments, for they also contributed positively towards my work in these years. Julian, who patiently suffered many, many hours of discussion and changes of proposals at the very beginning, when nothing seemed to make sense, and who gave his very much needed German rationality insight to these earlier plans. Sebastien, whose flat offered the warmth, the refuge, and the calmness required for the last, hardworking writing up months. And very particularly Julien, for the endless, and I mean endless, hours of company, fun, mad plans and road trips without which the last two years of work would not have been bearable. Thank you also to the following people, in no particular order: Ramon Vargas-Machuca, 'my mentor'. My long-distance companions on the long PhD road: Mat y Gema. Andrew Chadwick, from Royal Holloway University of London, for putting me in contact, before anybody else did, with the field of Internet studies Loren, mainly for his company during many fun times in Paris, but also for this practical help in collecting data and selecting parties from around Europe. The people and places in Toulouse: Carnot, my first stop in the pink city, and particularly Raf, one of the only people in Toulouse with whom I shared 'academic- type' talks about my research. Also mis ninas and Friends of P, a music association through which I made true some of my earliest teenager dreams and mainly allowed me to meet some of my best friends up to date. Manue, for being always there for me and showing me how real support and love can be expressed through phone calls, long e-mails and online chats. Liam, to whose place I went onboard of the 47 bus with the excuse to print out drafts of early chapters, but in fact mainly to have a coffee and some friendly ears. My various flatmates throughout these times, Mede and Dan in particular, who put up with my messed up timetables and were always supportive, even when the noise of my typewriting could have kept them awake in the early hours of the morning (or the late ones of the nights). Wandrille, with whom I made many plans for working together in the mornings and sorting out our timetables. These never came through, but the long talks in the middle of the night and the walks did indeed! All of the participants in the online forum 'Uses of the Internet by European Parties'. The places: Hull, London, Paris, Toulouse, Cadiz. The music. And very, very, specially: mama y papa. I can only hope they are aware of how much I truly appreciate their love, help, and support throughout all my life, even if I can be a bit clumsy at times in showing this appreciation. Table of Contents: Acknowledgments.........................................................................................3 Table of Contents..........................................................................................6 List of Tables................................................................................................8 List of Figures............................................................................................. 11 Abbreviations Used...................................................................................... 12 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................^ Aims of the Thesis.............................................................................. 16 Structure of the Thesis ........................................................................ 18 CHAPTER ONE Impact of the Internet on Contemporary Democratic Systems.....................22 1. 1. Why Study the Internet .................................................................22 1.2. The Impact of the Internet..............................................................25 1.3. The First Wave of Internet Studies: Utopians versus Dystopians............27 1. 4. The Second Wave of Internet Studies: the Empirical Evidence...............30 CHAPTER TWO Political Parties Today...........................................................................36 2.1. Parties in Contemporary Democracies.............................................35 2. 2. What Parties Can Use the Web For.................................................45 2.2.1. Websites as Channels of Linkage between Party and Citizens......................................................45 2.2.2. Possible Functions of Party Websites.............................48 2. 3. Parties on the Web: the Empirical Evidence to date............................51 2.3.1. Participatory Content of Political Parties' Websites............52 2.3.2. Evidence regarding the Equalisation Thesis.....................57 Chapter THREE Analytical and Methodological Framework...............................................64 3. 1. Lines of Investigation. Research Questions and Hypothesis.................64 3.1.1. Party Websites as Means for Political Participation............64 3.1.2. Research Questions and Hypothesis..............................66 3. 2. Focus of the Analysis: the Web, the Supply side, the EU......................69 3. 3. Units of Analysis: Websites from European Parties.............................74 3.4. Methods of Research...................................................................76 3.4.1. The Websites Survey..................................................77 3.4.2. The Online Forum (and Interviews)................................84 Chapter FOUR Party Websites: Online and Visible?...................................................................88 4. 1. Which Parties are Online?............................................................................90 4.1.1. Differences on Parties Online according to their Political System...................................................91 4.1.2. Differences on Parties Online according to Party Characteristics...................................................97 4. 2. Visibility of European Party Websites................................................ 101 4.2.1. Inbound Links............................................................101 4.2.1.a) Differences according to the Political System the party operates in................................................ 106 4.2.1.b) Differences according to Party Characteristics..........!21 4.2.2. Traffic Rank..............................................................126 Chapter FIVE The Interactive Content of European Party Websites............................... 130 5. 1. Interactivity in European Party Websites. General Findings.................. 132 5. 2. Differences on the Interactive Content of Party Websites according to their Political System...................................................................