Pushing the Score using Twitterdata

Dutch elections 2017

In the run up to the 2017 general elections in the Netherlands on Wednesday, 15 March 2017 to elect all 150 members of the House of Representatives, a lot of Twitter traffic is generated.

Since 2002, every cabinet has resigned before completing their full four-year term and five elections were held between 2002 and 2012. The 2012 elections saw the Labour Party (PvdA) and People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) go head-to-head for the position of prime minister, gathering enough seats in the process to form an absolute majority. The VVD's Mark Rutte formed a coalition government with the PvdA, ousting the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) from government, while the Party for Freedom (PVV) went back to full opposition. There are about a dozen political parties taking part in the election due to the fragmented nature of Dutch politics.


• Illustratie Hajo*

• Illustratie Hajo*

The online political battle

"En meteen is daar de tweet: #waarwasBuma" (And right after there was the tweet: #wherewasBuma)

This Special Issue #2 is inspired an article in the NRC about this online political battle. Just like in the United States, parties attempt to reach voters through social media and to frame political opponents. In television debates, such as RTL on Sunday evening, Twitter proves to be extremely popular. Especially with insiders.

The parties use social media more than ever this year’s elections. They try to convey their message to the unprecedented number of undecided voters and they try to frame opponents with catchy slogans or hashtags. During election debates, according to research in 2015 from the University of Amsterdam, the parties especially make use of Twitter - the medium is ideally suited to respond quickly.

Politicians use Twitter, in the Netherlands a daily log in around 900,000 people, primarily to attract attention, says Niels Spierings, political sociologist at the Radboud University.

"What you want, is that around your party leader a positive buzz is begin created."

If one party succeeds in that there is positive twittered about her party leader, or negative about the competitor, this could have great impact according to Spierings.

"Twitter will affect how the debate is interpreted afterwards, if only because the journalists who describe who is the winner and who is the loser, follow Twitter as one of their resources."

Collecting data

Twitter API

Made a Python script to get Twitter data from 26 elected parties.

3200 latest tweets of 2 candidates (highest nominated man and woman) of 14 elected parties. Elected parties: VVD, PvdA, PVV, SP, CDA, D66, ChristenUnie, GroenLinks, SGP, PvdD, 50Plus, DENK, Niet Stemmers, Piratenpartij, Looked at tweets with hashtag tk2017, tk17 and "verkiezingen". Furthermore I have collected all partijslogans of the above mentioned parties.

Used hashtags: #KUZU,#PlanB,#partijkartel,#pgb,#basisbeurs,#zorgfonds,#MakeTheNetherlandsGreatAgain,#MHGA,#GeertTrain,#Geertw,#NederlandWeerVanOns,#15maart2017,#cordonsanitaire,#wordpiraat,#stemvoorverandering,#peilingwijzer,#Oekraïne,oekraine,#factcheck,#trapernietin,#Fritswester,#grenzendicht,#50PLUSdus,#samenstaanwesterker,#JesseMeetup,#iksteundethuiszorg,#nomoreislam,#pakdemacht,#PVVOP1,operatieinterview,stemvoorhetleven,#normaaldoen,#stem15maart,#samenvooruit,#StemBus,#ikstempvda,#babbeltruc,#stemvnl,#lijst13,#wordlid,#stemvoornederland,#nlzorgfonds,#roemer,#nlzorgdebat,#stempvv,#pvv2017,#ikstemcda,#cda,#dienstplicht,#geefnldoor,#d66bustour,#ikstemd66,#stemd66,#hetkanwel,#nietschreeuwenmaarpraten,#grassroots,#beweging,#groenlinksbeltaan,#klaver,#stempvdd,#erisgeenplanb,#mariannethieme,#stem50plus,#50plus,#ikstemdenk,#piratenpartij,#ppnl,#jouwkeuze,#privacy,#stempiraat,#Fvd,#lijst16,#voorhetleven,#eenverdiener,#somszoujemeersgpwillen,#voordeander,#voorhetgezin,#geendrempels

Plan of Approach

Need to look at endpoints for accounts and search terms. For accounts endpoint use: https://dev.twitter.com/rest/reference/get/statuses/user_timeline For search terms use the following endpoint: https://dev.twitter.com/rest/reference/get/search/tweets

Think about what I want to tell - -> music/sound plan --> give meaning to the score --> soundtrack