Social Networking and Constituent Communications: Members’ Use of Vine in Congress

Summary

In the past 10 years, the rise of social media has expanded the number of options available for communication between Members of Congress and their constituents. Virtually all Members, including all 100 Senators, use Twitter as a tool to communicate legislative, policy, and official actions to interested parties; and the use of other forms of social media, including Facebook, has also proliferated.

The adoption of these technologies has enhanced the ability of Members of Congress to fulfill their representational duties by providing greater opportunities for constituents to communicate with Members and their staff. Electronic communications have also raised some concerns. Existing law and chamber regulations on the use of communications media such as the franking privilege have proven difficult to adapt to new technologies.

More recently, Members have begun to adopt video and picture sharing social media services. This report examines Members’ use of one of these new electronic communications platforms: Vine. After providing an overview of Vine, the report analyzes patterns of Members’ use of Vine. This report is inherently a snapshot of a dynamic process. As with any new technology, the number of Members using Vine and the patterns of use may change rapidly. Thus, the conclusions drawn from these data cannot be easily generalized, nor can these results be used to predict future behavior.

For more information on the adoption and use of social media by Members of Congress, see CRS Report R43018, Social Networking and Constituent Communications: Members’ Use of Twitter and Facebook During a Two-Month Period in the 112th Congress, by Matthew E. Glassman, Jacob R. Straus, and Colleen J. Shogan and CRS Report R43477, Social Media in the House of Representatives: Frequently Asked Questions, by Jacob R. Straus and Matthew E. Glassman.