Political Use and Perceived Effects of the Internet: A Case Study of the 2004 Election

This study explores the relationship between the political use of the Internet and its perceived effects on political life through a secondary analysis of the Post-Election Tracking Survey 2004 data (Pew Internet and American Life Project,  2004 ). The political use of the Internet was measured in three dimensions: using the Internet for political information, deliberation, and participation (Tsagarousianou,  1999 ). A structural equation model confirmed the cumulative relationship among the three dimensions of political use of the Internet, and all these three dimensions of online political activities positively predicted the perceived effects of the Internet on political life.