Statistics
Quantitative data tracking the digital transformation of American political discourse. These statistics document the measurable shifts in how Americans engage with politics online, from platform adoption to movement mobilization.
Digital Platform Adoption
How Americans embraced digital platforms for political engagement.
Social Media Penetration
Percentage of U.S. adults using Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, TikTok across time (2005–2025)
Internet Access
Percentage of U.S. households online from dial-up to broadband (1995–present)
Smartphone Adoption
Key inflection points in mobile-driven political activism (2010s)
Streaming & Podcasts
Number of political podcasts and hours consumed per week
Political Mobilization
Measuring digital organizing and grassroots political activity.
Hashtag Mobilization
Tweet/post volumes for major hashtags: #BlackLivesMatter, #MAGA, #MeToo, #StopTheSteal
Protest Participation
Occupy Wall Street (2011), Women's March (2017), Black Lives Matter (2020) participation data
Online Petitions
Signatures on Change.org and WhiteHouse.gov petitions during major campaigns
Online Voter Registration
Percentage of voters registered via online systems since adoption
Political Economy
Financial flows in digital political campaigns and causes.
Online Fundraising
Amount raised via ActBlue, WinRed, GoFundMe for political causes
Digital Ad Spending
Total political ad spend on Facebook/Google in key election cycles (2016, 2020, 2024)
Platform Communities
Growth and engagement within political online communities.
Reddit Politics
Growth of r/politics, r/The_Donald, r/ChapoTrapHouse subscriber counts over time
Imageboards
Estimated monthly users of 4chan/8chan during key political events
Alternative Platforms
Peak user counts of Gab, Parler, Truth Social
Livestream Audiences
Peak live viewers for political events (Jan. 6 livestreams, Trump rallies, Sanders Twitch streams)
Information & Trust
How information spreads and trust evolves in digital political discourse.
Misinformation Reach
Views/shares of viral false stories during elections (2016–2020)
Trust in Media
Percentage of Americans trusting mainstream vs. alternative outlets
Partisan Attitudes
Percentage of Democrats/Republicans viewing social media as "good/bad for democracy"
Polarization Measures
Surveys on partisan animosity and threat perception between parties
Platform Governance
Content moderation and platform policy enforcement data.
Content Takedowns
Number of accounts/pages removed by platforms for political violations
Stop the Steal Groups
Size of online groups/pages before platform takedowns (e.g., 300k+ on Facebook)