( Irm238 ) Applied Data Science 2016
Problem
New forms of social connectivity are presenting new opportunities for government to engage with the public. Agencies are exploring possibilities for new, more transparent, more direct, and more responsive operations. Proponents of the use of social media point to apps and services that increase exchange of information to make agencies more effective. Others challenge the notion that communication through social media is more than just new but transformative. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the debate by looking at what agencies have been communicating and the resulting response from constituents. By looking at tweets of 8 top active agencies on Twitter, I hope to identify shared topics for which agencies are tweeting from their accounts and investigate if these topics are a good prediction for retweets – as a proxy for civic engagement. While any study of social media platforms are subject to critique due to questions of adoption, usage and access, looking at what has been tried and its response among citizens may help agencies proactively navigate in the debate by knowing what topics hold their active constituents attention and what areas need other forms of outreach or engagement.