Imagined Democratic Affordances: Persistent Faith in the Democratic Power of the Internet among Sanders Supporters on Reddit

Research on digital democracy and online mobilization often focuses on how technological design, affordances, organizing, or policy may influence online political behaviors. Less attention is paid to users’ imagination about their digital environments, the expectations, emotions, or values that are involved, and how these relate to users’ perceptions on the democratic opportunities afforded by digital media. This study conducts qualitative analysis of the perceptions of Bernie Sanders supporters on a large Reddit community of both digital media and mainstream media. The findings suggest that some users, who regard themselves as democratically populist, tend to regard digital media optimistically and display persistent faith in the democratizing capacity of online platforms. This study provides a deeper understanding of the power of users’ imagination and elucidates issues of the persistence of technological optimism, the appeal and motivational power of the democratic promise of the internet, and users’ association of democratic ideals with online activism.