Astroturfing and Social Media Manipulation in Policy Making

 Astroturfing disrupts this public sphere by creating an illusion of consensus that does not exist. As a result, policies may not reflect the actual needs of the public.

Some of the key implications include:

1. Erosion of Public Trust
   The practice of astroturfing and social media manipulation can lead to a loss of trust among the public in the information being disseminated. This lack of trust, if prolonged, can undermine the integrity of democratic systems, as people feel that the information they receive no longer reflects reality or the common good. Benkler et al. (2018) suggest that this distrust exacerbates social and political polarization and reduces public participation in decision-making processes.
2. Decline in Public Participation
   When the public feels that their opinions are disregarded or ignored due to manipulation, their participation in public discussions and policy-making can decrease. This can lead to political apathy, where people feel they have no influence or control over decisions made by the government. Tufekci (2017) notes that when people feel unheard, they are less likely to engage in political activities or public discussions.
3. Undermining Policy Transparency
   When policies are influenced by non-transparent forces, the quality of the policies themselves may be called into question. Manipulative practices like astroturfing obscure who is truly driving the policy and what the underlying agenda might be. This creates ambiguity around the rationale behind policy decisions and diminishes governmental accountability. A lack of transparency in policy-making can lead to policies that serve narrow interests rather than the public good.

References

1. Benkler, Y., Faris, R., & Roberts, H. (2018). Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation, and Radicalization in American Politics. Oxford University Press.
2. Habermas, J. (1989). The Theory of Communicative Action: Volume 1: Reason and the Rationalization of Society. Polity Press.
3. McCombs, M. E., & Shaw, D. L. (1972). The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media. Public Opinion Quarterly, 36(2), 176--187. https://doi.org/10.1086/267990
4. Tufekci, Z. (2017). Social Media and the Public Interest: Media, Democracy, and the Crisis of the Political Economy of Attention. Journal of Information Technology & Politics, 14(3), 196-214. https://doi.org/10.1080/19331681.2017.1334604