Connections Between Internet Use and Political Efficacy, Knowledge, and Participation

Usingdata fromthe2000NationalAnnenbergElectionSurvey, this study looksat the relationshipsbetween Internet access andonlineexposure to information about the presidential campaign and political efficacy, knowledge, and participation. Results show that Internet access and online exposure to information about the presidential campaign are significantly associated with these important political variables. Several of the associations between Internet access and exposure with political efficacy, knowledge, and participation are detectable even when taking sociodemographic variables, party identification, partisan strength, political interest, and other media exposures variables into account. Although statistically significant, these associations are quite small.