This paper is a comparative inquiry of political information dynamics produced via social media during national electoral campaigns in four countries:Spain (2011), the United States (2012), Australia (2013), and India (2014). While Downs posited that the information problematic for democracy concerns connecting voter policy preferences with “correct” information about party positions, contemporary information practices appear more dynamic and interactive. Political information is not only instrumental but as political life increasingly takes place online, it may be developing an endogenous dynamic. This paper analyzes these dynamics looking at tweets produced during the above election campaigns. The comparative strategy differentiates cases institutionally in terms of presidential and parliamentary systems, historical experience with democracy, and the digital divide. The results of these analyses will aid in the development of models of political information flows as well as the use of political information in the context of an electoral campaign.
