Digital Platforms for Participatory Politics as a Space for Dialogue Between Citizens and Public Representatives

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17231/volesp(2025).5452

Keywords:

citizen participation, digital platform, participatory politics, freedom of participation, accountability

Abstract

Civic participation in the digital age has changed the dynamics of the internet, allowing users not only to consume information but also to contribute and collaborate in the creation of content. Online platforms for political participation aim to strengthen the quality of democracy and bridge the gap between institutions and citizens by facilitating dialogue with political representatives. The overall objective is to understand the dynamics of citizen participation in Spain through the digital platform Osoigo.com. The research adopts a quantitative approach, analysing interactions in order to identify patterns in communication, content, sentiment and the relationship between questions and answers. The scope is exploratory, addressing descriptive, correlative and inferential aspects through the use of data mining techniques and statistical analysis. The sample is purposively selected based on the popularity of the queries. The main findings show the diversity and plurality of the Spanish political landscape reflected on the platform, with gender inequality and a leftist bias among question recipients. The geographical distribution of questions suggests a general balance, with more attention given to public representatives at the national level, with the exception of right-wing politicians, who receive more regional questions. There is no statistically significant relationship between the sentiment of questions and answers, suggesting that politicians do not adapt their emotional tone to citizens but maintain a consistent emotional response pattern.

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Author Biographies

  • Elizabet Castillero-Ostio, Departamento de Comunicación Audiovisual y Publicidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Comunicación, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain

    Elizabet Castillero-Ostio is a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Audiovisual Communication and Advertising in the Faculty of Communication Sciences at the University of Malaga. She holds a PhD in Strategic Management in Communication from the University of Malaga, a degree in Advertising and Public Relations and a master’s degree in Strategic Management and Innovation in Communication. She is currently participating in the following competitive research projects: Observatorio de los Gabinetes de Comunicación de Andalucía, Lobby y Comunicación en la Unión Europea. Análisis de Sus Estrategias de Comunicación and Comunicación y Grupos de Interés en Andalucía. Estrategias de Comunicación Para la Participación Ciudadana en Sociedades Inclusivas. Her main current lines of research focus on public relations and political and institutional communication. She is the author of more than 30 academic publications and a researcher in two innovative education projects.

  • Álvaro Serna-Ortega, Departamento de Comunicación Audiovisual y Publicidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Comunicación, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain

    Álvaro Serna-Ortega is a lecturer in the Department of Audiovisual Communication and Advertising at the Faculty of Communication Sciences. He is a contract researcher in the research project Lobby y Comunicación funded by the State R&D&I Programme (CSO2016-79357-R). He is also a PhD student in the Inter-University Doctorate Programme in Communication at the Universities of Cadiz, Huelva, Malaga, and Seville, specialising in Advertising and Public Relations. He holds a degree in Advertising and Public Relations and a master’s in Strategic Management and Innovation in Communication. His research interests include political communication, international relations, and organisational communication.

  • Andrea Moreno-Cabanillas, Departamento de Comunicación Audiovisual y Publicidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Comunicación, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain

    Andrea Moreno-Cabanillas is a contract researcher in training (FPU 2019) at the Department of Advertising and Audiovisual Communication at the University of Malaga. She holds a PhD in Communication from the Universities of Cadiz, Huelva, Malaga, and Seville, specialising in Advertising and Public Relations. She earned her undergraduate degree in Advertising and Public Relations from the University of Malaga and a master’s degree in Teacher Training for Secondary Education and Vocational Training from the University of Murcia. She has authored over 50 papers, presented at conferences and published in various outlets. Her research focuses on interest groups and lobbies in the European Union, and she has conducted funded research stays at Universidade de São Paulo (Brazil) and RMIT University (Australia).

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Published

2025-04-24

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2025: Communication and Freedom

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Thematic Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Elizabet Castillero-Ostio, Álvaro Serna-Ortega, Andrea Moreno-Cabanillas

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How to Cite

Castillero-Ostio, E., Serna-Ortega, Á., & Moreno-Cabanillas, A. (2025). Digital Platforms for Participatory Politics as a Space for Dialogue Between Citizens and Public Representatives. Comunicação E Sociedade, 109-135. https://doi.org/10.17231/volesp(2025).5452

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