Electoral pressure or deficit compensation? Online political communication by public agencies in Western European city-regions

Abstract

Today, internet is the most common tool for information and hence an obvious means for governments to be transparent about political institutions and processes. But how does online information work in complex governance networks, where the question who actually governs is difficult to answer? In the present paper, we explore two contradictory hypotheses on why public agencies involved in city-regional policy-making invest in websites to reach out to the wider public. A content analysis of thirty-two websites from agencies in eight European cityregions shows that electoral pressure is a strong incentive. Websites of agencies controlled by directly elected representatives are far more informative than websites of agencies that are disconnected from the democratic chain of delegation.