Impact of internet and social networks on the final result of 2016 presidential election of the United States

摘要

Internet usage and its capabilities have grown significantly over the last two decades. There were multiple technology waves related to Internet including Social Networks. Currently there are over billions of Internet and Social Network users around the world, and these networks are very popular in every country including the United States (US). US being the most technologically powerful economy in the world, it is very much concerned with the political stability of the country. As a democratic nation, US holds the Presidential Election every four years to elect its first citizen. The usage of Internet and Social Networks during the 2016 campaign by both major candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton for their campaigns was significant. Considering the above, this paper examines the usage of Internet and Social Networks during the 2016 US Presidential Election and its impact on the final result with the support of available literature and social network data. Results show that Clinton campaign was the most aggressive, yet Trump campaign was the most effective. Also, this paper observed that there is a significant impact of Internet and Social Networks on the final result of 2016 Presidential election of the US.