Social Capital as an Inhibitor of Online Political Incivility: An Analysis of Behavioral Patterns Among Politically Active Facebook Users

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between social capital and uncivil political communication online using a sample of politically active Facebook users and their Facebook post data. Theory suggests that social capital, in both its bonded and bridged forms, may inhibit the frequency and severity of online political incivility. The results here indicate that bonded social capital is negatively associated with political incivility on Facebook. Bridged capital is not, however, statistically related to posting uncivil content on Facebook.