Field Guide to Online Political Conversations: How to Spot a Bot

/

September 18, 2019

min. read

Share

Field Guide to Online Political Conversations: How to Spot a Bot

View all of our work

We examine the rising cyber threat to elections, and share how to watch for fake accounts that spread disinformation.

‍

Download the Infographic Download the Infographic

Explore our work

The eventual mayor and a fringe candidate had similar engagement and levels of abuse — but very different experiences online.

Abuse and Online Engagement Unpacked

Chloe Brown and Anthony Furey were among the most successful mayoral candidates, but as political outsiders, they faced barriers breaking into media opportunities.

Who Gets a Platform? Media Exposure and Online Engagement

Mayoral runner-up Ana Bailão proved that offline success didn’t necessarily require high online engagement.

Does Online Engagement Mean Higher Electoral Success?

Xiao Hua Gong spent a lot on advertising, and though those expenses didn’t translate into success at the polls, it showcased how big campaign budgets alone can reach into communities — sometimes in unexpected ways.

Buying Attention, On and Offline

Exploring engagement, toxicity, and civic conversations across online and offline spaces in the Toronto by-election.

Engagement and Abuse on Toronto's Digital Campaign Trail: The 2023 Toronto Mayoral By-election Report

Les Personnages de la Chambre est, depuis plusieurs semaines, l’une des émissions les mieux placées dans la catégorie gouvernementale sur les balados d’Apple Podcasts (Canada).

Les Personnages de la Chambre dans les médias

Born in Happy Hill, Grenada, the Honourable Jean Augustine became the first Black Canadian woman to be elected to the House of Commons.

Featured Voices

The Samara Centre for Democracy and Media Girlfriends team were nominated in the Consumer category.

Humans of the House Podcast Wins Silver at the Canadian Online Publishing Awards

At the Samara Centre for Democracy our purpose is to make it easier for people to talk about and participate in politics. We want to move past simplistic commands like “you should run” or “you should vote” towards more nuanced and personal understandings about what it truly means to be civically engaged.

Samara Centre for Democracy 2023 Highlights

Nous connaissons les politiciens et politiciennes tels qu’ils se présentent à nous dans l’exercice de leurs fonctions. Mais ce n’est que lorsque leur mandat touche à sa fin qu’ils et elles peuvent réellement s’exprimer sur leur expérience. Animé par Chloë Hill, Les Personnages de la Chambre est un nouveau balado qui présente six anciens et anciennes député.e.s de la Chambre des communes du Canada qui décrivent, dans leur propre voix, la réalité de cette profession.

Les Personnages de la Chambre: Bande-annonce

The Samara Centre for Democracy is frequently asked to provide commentary and analysis on a range of topics related to civic engagement and political participation. We regularly appear in print, broadcast and digital news networks across the country.

Samara Centre in the Media

Samara Centre’s Sabreena Delhon and Media Girlfriend's Hannah Sung on why a change in workplace culture on the hill could improve our democracy

Changing the workplace of Parliament Hill would change everything

Humans of the House has received national media coverage and has been the #1 show in the Government category for several weeks on Apple Podcasts where it has also been featured as a New & Noteworthy Special Series.

Humans of the House in the Media

SAMbot has received national media coverage and been presented at meetings across governmental, policy, technology, human rights and academic spaces.

SAMbot In The Media

The Samara Centre for Democracy welcomes two new members to our Board of Directors.

The Samara Centre for Democracy Welcomes Lisa LaFlamme and Jeilah Chan to Their Board of Directors

How are our policies around elections limiting voter engagement - and what do we need from policymakers in order to make things better?

Who Cares About Toronto’s By-Election?

SAMbot tracked toxic tweets in eight municipal elections across Canada by monitoring candidate and political party accounts.

Online Abuse in Local Elections: The SAMbot Municipal Report

SAMbot Vancouver Election

SAMbot Surrey Election

SAMbot Ottawa Election

SAMbot Brampton Election

SAMbot tracked online abuse during Toronto's municipal election. Read our report to learn more about our findings.

SAMbot Toronto Election

SAMbot tracked online abuse during Winnipeg's municipal election. Read our report to learn more about our findings.

SAMbot Winnipeg Election

SAMbot tracked online abuse during Yellowknife's municipal election. Read our report to learn more about our findings.

SAMbot Yellowknife Election

SAMbot tracked online abuse during Charlottetown's municipal election. Read our report to learn more about our findings.

SAMbot Charlottetown Election

Throughout the fall of 2022, the Samara Centre for Democracy deployed SAMbot in eight municipal elections across Canada to measure abusive content received by candidates and political parties on Twitter.

SAMbot Methodology: Municipal Elections

This panel discusses how digital technology is shaping public engagement, journalism and our democracy.

The Promise and Perils of Digital: A Panel Discussion

We’ve come to the final chapter of an MP’s civic journey. What is it like to leave office?

Humans of the House Episode 6: Was It Worth It?

What does it take for MPs to make a difference? We hear from former MPs about the changes they pushed for, and what it cost them.

Humans of the House Episode 5: I'm Going to Say the F Word

Humans of the House Episode 4: Unwritten Rules

What is Parliament Hill like as a workplace?

Humans of the House Episode 3: The Best/Worst Place I Ever Worked

So, you won an election and are officially a Member of Parliament. Now what?

Humans of the House Episode 2: Show Up and Glow Up

Would you ever run for political office? For many of us, “politician” is the last job title we’d ever consider.

Humans of the House Episode 1: You Wanna Run?

In Humans of the House, we are on a journey that explores the human side of politics. Prepare to be surprised, maybe even moved, by the real lives of Members of Parliament.

Humans of the House: Trailer

We explain how ending free Twitter API access is a huge blow to research efforts.

Bring back the Bots: How Twitter’s latest change threatens our democracy

A selection of highlights and publications from the Samara Centre in 2022.

A Look Back on 2022

Our Executive Director, Sabreena Delhon spoke on a panel discussion about race and policy-making in Canada.

Words Left Unsaid: Racial Inequality and Policy-Making in Canada

We provided the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC) recommendations for virtual hybrid House and committee proceedings.

Samara Centre for Democracy Advises on Hybrid Proceedings Before the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs

SAMbot tracked toxic tweets in the 2022 Federal election by monitoring the Twitter accounts of incumbent candidates and party leaders.

SAMbot 2021 Federal Election Report

Pandemic school closures not only damages achievement and well-being for students; it also compromises civic learning and engagement.

New publication — Policy Options article examines how pandemic school closures have compromised the resilience of our democracy

SAMbot tracked toxic tweets in the 2022 Ontario election by monitoring the public Twitter accounts candidates and official parties.

SAMbot 2022 Ontario Election Report

Learn more about the state of youth civic learning and engagement in the context of the pandemic.

Learning Loss as Civic Loss: Addressing the Generational Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Youth Democratic Engagement

SAMbot Federal Election Day: September 20, 2021

SAMbot Federal Election: September 12-19, 2021

We share findings from the SAMbot project and discuss how online toxicity takes a toll on civic engagement.

New Publication — Policy Options article examines how online toxicity is hindering civic engagement

SAMbot Federal Election: September 5-12, 2021

SAMbot Federal Election: August 29-September 5, 2021

SAMbot Federal Election: August 22-29, 2021

SAMbot Federal Election: August 15–22, 2021

Democracy is needed, now more than ever.

Samara, Canada, and Democracy: A Consequential Moment

Introducing our new Executive Director for the Samara Centre for Democracy

Introducing Our Next Executive Director: Sabreena Delhon

We analyze survey data from municipal leaders across Canada to better understand how local politicians experience public life.

Locally Grown: A Survey of Municipal Politicians in Canada

How did Canadians’ attitudes toward their democracy change with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Temperature Check: Canadian Democratic Attitudes in a Pandemic

Disrespect, rudeness, harassment, and abuse online have real costs for our democracy.

Four Ways Online Incivility Harms Canadian Politics

Federal political representatives in Canada share the democratic pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Representation in Isolation: Member of Parliament Survey 2020

With other countries experiencing the negative consequences of digital contact tracing, we find that governance of such apps has been almost totally neglected, and argue this is an area where Canada can lead.

Digital Contact Tracing: A problem for democratic governance

As legislatures across Canada confront the crisis, we review the emergency responses taken in each province and territory (if any), and examine their recent steps to resume some degree of regular operations and parliamentary work.

Closer to the People? Adaptations to COVID-19 by Canada’s provincial and territorial legislatures

With governments struggling to adjust to the realities of physical distancing and restricted travel, we make the case for a hybrid virtual Parliament as the best option to keep our national legislature working throughout the pandemic.

Towards a Virtual Parliament: Design choices and democratic values

As the crisis marches on, we compare how the parliaments of Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Canada were convened to pass emergency legislation, who got to participate, and what has been put in place to keep tabs on government.

Westminster Parliaments Compared: Four approaches to emergency lawmaking and scrutiny

After Parliament’s initial rounds of emergency lawmaking, we provide an evaluation of what our national legislature and leaders got right and what they got wrong.

Parliament Under Pressure: A Summary

After Parliament’s initial rounds of emergency lawmaking, we provide an evaluation of what our national legislature and leaders got right and what they got wrong.

Parliament Under Pressure: Evaluating Parliament's performance in response to COVID-19

Real House Lives

After the experience of a bruising election campaign, a new Parliament is a chance for a fresh start. For new Members of Parliament (MPs), taking their seat in the House of Commons is powerful, emotional, and memorable.

House Inspection: A retrospective of the 42nd Parliament

“Let’s Talk Digital” is a non-partisan initiative aiming to engage youth (12-25 years old) in a series of workshops and engagement opportunities on digital citizenship.

Let's Talk Digital

We look at why civility matters, and how to debate the issues with mutual respect.

Field Guide to Online Political Conversations: How to Argue with Civility

For many Canadians, social media has become a popular space to talk about politics. By allowing users to freely express their opinions and exchange ideas, social media can be a powerful tool to strengthen our democracy.

Field Guide to Online Political Conversations

This infographic provides advice for political leaders who want to make political discourse more productive and civil, both online and in person.

Field Guide to Online Political Conversations: For Elected Representatives

This infographic looks at why conversations are so different on social media, and how to move from your gut to your brain.

Field Guide to Online Political Conversations: How to Overcome Big Emotions

This infographic provides advice about how to spot and engage with bots and bad actors and online.

Field Guide to Online Political Conversations: How to Spot a Bot

Canada’s Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected to represent their constituents by debating and voting on proposed legislation in the House of Commons.

The Reform Act Revisited

The 2015 federal election saw a stunning surge in youth participation. Turnout increased from the previous election in 2011 by nearly 40% among 18- to 29-year-olds—an unprecedented increase.

You Have Our Attention: Youth Political Engagement in Canada

Pries open the “black box” of nomination contests in Canada to examine how political parties select candidates.

Party Favours: How Federal Election Candidates Are Chosen

This report uses new data to help answer the question: is Canada having a populist moment? And if so, why is that a problem?

Don't Blame "The People": The Rise of Elite-Led Populism in Canada

This is the Samara Centre for Democracy’s third edition of the Democracy 360, a made-in-Canada report card on the state of Canada’s democracy.

2019 Democracy 360

What civic literacy is, why it matters, and how we can foster a more civically literate public.

Investing in Canadians' Civic Literacy: An answer to fake news and disinformation

In the spring of 2018, 266 political staff of Members of Parliament, Cabinet Ministers, and Senators took part in an anonymous survey about their perception and experiences of sexual harassment and assault in their workplace.

The Elephant on the Hill

Peeking behind the curtain into the hidden world of leader-dominated, hyper-partisan party caucuses.

The Real House Lives: Strengthening the Role of MPs in an Age of Partisanship

A new vision for constituency offices as civic hubs and outposts of Parliament, rather than service centres.

Beyond the Barbecue: Reimagining Constituency Work for Local Democratic Engagement

Elected representatives are critical in returning our representative democracy to health. But in Canada, Members of Parliament have been drifting away for decades from the essential work citizens require of them—of legislation, representation, and scrutiny.

Flip the Script: Reclaiming the legislature to reinvigorate representative democracy

In the spring of 2018, the Samara Centre for Democracy continued its annual tradition of surveying current Members of Parliament.

The 2018 Member of Parliament Survey

That's the gentle, colourless way that Hansard, Parliament's official written record, has often recorded heckling in the House of Commons for the last 150 years. But "Oh, oh" is an understatement.

No One Is Listening: Incivility in the 42nd Parliament, and how to fix it

Our second comprehensive report card on the health of Canadian democracy, examining how Canadians communicate, participate, and lead in politics.

2017 Democracy 360

The 2015 election reversed a 20-year decline in voter turnout, bringing overall voter turnout from 61% in 2011 up to a surprising 68%, which is a sizeable change in voting behaviour, rarely seen in federal elections.

Can You Hear Me Now? Young People and the 2015 Fedeal Election

A national conversation about how we, as citizens, choose our representatives is an excellent opportunity to get Canadians engaged—to make democracy more accessible, more familiar, and more relevant to them.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Electoral Reform

In the spring of 2015, the Samara Centre surveyed Members of the 41st Parliament on their experiences with heckling in the House of Commons.

Cheering or Jeering? Members of Parliament Open Up About Civility in the House of Commons

Every new session of Parliament begins with a Speech from the Throne. What is it and why do we need it?

What is a Speech from the Throne?

Over the last 30 years, Canadians have watched with concern as voting rates among younger people have declined, with the result that in the 2011 federal election, the majority of young people opted not to cast a vote.

Message Not Delivered: The Myth of Apathetic Youth and the Importance of Contact in Political Participation

Samara's Democracy 360, a report card on the state of Canada's democracy, focuses on the complex relationship between citizens and political leadership.

2015 Democracy 360

In 2014, Parliament passed The Reform Act with overwhelming cross-party support. The hope was to incrementally democratize party caucuses in Parliament, by shifting certain powers from the leader back to Members of Parliament (MPs).

The Reform Act

Tragedy in the Commons is a 2014 book written by the co-founders of The Samara Centre for Democracy, Alison Loat and Michael MacMillan

Tragedy in the Commons: Former Members of Parliament Speak Out about Canada's Failing Democracy

An exploration of Canadians’ perceptions of political parties from a new angle—what Canadians think parties should be doing, and how well they are performing those roles.

By Invitation Only: Canadians' perceptions of political parties

Volunteering and donating to charitable causes are considered important parts of being Canadian, rightfully celebrated and encouraged as a means to improve this country.

Lightweights? Political Participation Beyond the Ballot Box

Examining the extent to which Canadians' priorities are reflected in the House of Commons, comparing data on public opinion and parliamentary activity.

Lost in Translation or Just Lost? Canadians' priorities in the House of Commons

How Canadians evaluate the performance of their elected representatives—based on our 2014 Citizen Survey.

Who's the Boss? Canadians' Views on Their Democracy

An analysis of national media coverage of grassroots politics versus institutional politics.

Occupiers and Legislators: A Snapshot of Political Media Coverage

Turned off? Tuned out? Dropped out? Evidence indicates that many Canadians are not interested in politics.

The Real Outsiders: Politically Disengaged Views on Politics and Democracy

Lessons from former MPs for a healthier political life and better representation.

The Outsiders' Manifesto: Surviving and Thriving as a Member of Parliament

Stories of party dominance and micromanagement, which get in the way of effective democratic representation.

It's My Party: Parliamentary Dysfunction Reconsidered

The chaotic, unsupported process of becoming a parliamentarian, and the confusion it creates.

Welcome to Parliament: A Job With No Description

Former MPs describe their unexpected paths into public life.

The Accidental Citizen?

Explore Our Work

No items found.