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Parties, Candidates and Citizens On-Line - Åbo Akademi

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Table 2. Logistical regression model predicting the campaign web presence of the<br />

c<strong>and</strong>idates<br />

Use of website<br />

B S.E. Exp(B) Sig.<br />

Inter-party effects<br />

Party size (1) 2.334 .188 10.322 .000<br />

Party size (2) 1.021 .152 2.777 .000<br />

Ideology (1) -.151 .134 .860 .258<br />

Ideology (2) 1.255 .185 3.509 .000<br />

Ideology (3) .298 .213 1.348 .162<br />

Intra-party effects<br />

Competitiveness (1) 1.671 .174 5.316 .000<br />

Status (1) -.327 .244 .721 .179<br />

C<strong>and</strong>idate<br />

demographics<br />

Gender (1) .065 .116 1.067 .575<br />

Age -.031 .005 .970 .000<br />

Constituency<br />

demographics<br />

District urbanization .017 .004 1.017 .000<br />

Constant -1.741<br />

Cox-Snell R2 .326<br />

Nagelkerke R2 .437<br />

% Correct 77.0<br />

N<br />

2,013<br />

Note: The dependent variable: 0=c<strong>and</strong>idate does not have a website 1=c<strong>and</strong>idate has a website.<br />

Predictors (the last category is used as reference category): Party size: 1=Major, 2=Minor, 3= Fringe;<br />

Ideology: 1=Left-wing, 2=Green (ecological), 3=Center (rural), 4=Right-wing (conservative);<br />

Competitiveness: 1= competitive c<strong>and</strong>idate, 2=Non-competitive c<strong>and</strong>idate; Status: 1=Incumbent<br />

2=Challenger; Gender: 1=Female, 2=Male; Age: years; District urbanization: average degree of<br />

urbanization (continuous).<br />

All predictors except c<strong>and</strong>idate gender <strong>and</strong> status are significant in predicting c<strong>and</strong>idate<br />

web presence. The strongest predictor is running for a major party [B=2.334,<br />

Exp(B)=10.322]. As such, this finding replicates findings concerning the Finnish<br />

c<strong>and</strong>idates running for the European Parliament in 2004 (Carlson & Str<strong>and</strong>berg 2005). In<br />

this study, party size was followed by being a competitive c<strong>and</strong>idate [B=1.671,<br />

Exp(B)=5.316] <strong>and</strong>, thereafter, running for a green/ecological party [B=1.255,<br />

Exp(B)=3.509]. The strong effect of c<strong>and</strong>idate competitiveness indicates that intra-party<br />

variations are also important in influencing c<strong>and</strong>idate web presence. <strong>On</strong>ly weak effects<br />

were found concerning the controlling variables. Younger age <strong>and</strong> running in a more<br />

urbanized district were weak but significant predictors of c<strong>and</strong>idate web presence. The<br />

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