Anonymous Political Participation in the Form of e-petition Signing

Research on online political participation is a growing field since the internet has expanded our possibilities to express ourselves politically. Often, this can be done anonymously as in the case of the most popular form of online political participation: e-petition signing. This evokes an important discussion about the balance between the need for transparency and the right for anonymity concerning political participation. However, previous research tells us very little about the mechanisms behind anonymous political participation in general, and e-petition signing in particular. This article analyzes anonymous political participation in the form of e-petition signing. The purpose is to increase knowledge about potential factors behind anonymous e-petition signing. Using quantitative content analysis of 220 informal e-petitions, the study seeks to find possible determinants for the share of anonymous signatures. Findings indicate that the controversiality of the e-petition topic does not have an impact on the share of anonymous signatures.