We Are the Tea Party!: The Use of Facebook as an Online Political Forum for the Construction and Maintenance of in-Group Identification during the “GOTV” Weekend

Abstract

Researchers have found Facebook to be a viable tool for major party candidates; however, few scholars have sought to investigate how Facebook messages influence an emerging political group's online identity. This study examined how Tea Party supporters used Facebook to construct and maintain an identity during the “Get Out The Vote” weekend. Applying a grounded theory approach, we found that Tea Party supporters engaged in two types of polarization language strategies to construct and preserve their online identity. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the “echo chamber” effect.

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