Politics and Web 2.0: the Obama Method

Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has been called the most successful campaign in US history. A huge part of this success, especially among young voters, may be attributed to his highly effective use of Web technology: from YouTube channels to Twitter and Facebook accounts, Obama’s team showed a real understanding of social media to campaign and raise funds for the candidate. Just a few weeks after the German federal elections on 09/27/2009, we will analyze the extent to which Obama’s online strategies have been copied or adapted by German politicians. We will discuss the prerequisites and key elements that make a successful online campaign and ask which components of the Obama campaign may be transferred to Germany, considering its different political and electoral system. In which ways may Web technology and social media be used in the US and Germany to raise funds, build a constituency, and encourage civic involvement?