Date

10-16-2025

Department

School of Communication and the Arts

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Communication (PhD)

Chair

Kevin Rawls

Keywords

Political communication, economic policies, agenda-setting, framing theory, social media engagement

Disciplines

Communication

Abstract

This study investigates how U.S. presidential candidates use the platform X (formerly Twitter) to frame and communicate their economic policy during the election campaign period. The research uses a quantitative content analysis method to select candidates' posts and systematically examine the frequency and patterns of economic themes posted by the candidates, drawing from the agenda-setting and framing theories. Moreover, this study aims to measure audience engagement (likes, reposts, comments) to see which message strategy resonates best. The literature review underlines how this media tool can direct political communication and influence public opinion on significant issues. Existing research lacks a systematic quantitative exploration of how economic policies are presented and perceived on X. The methodology consists of a stratified purposive sampling of posts from X accounts of Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., all verified, over three months. Additionally, this is categorized into posts mainly dealing with economic themes such as taxation, healthcare, and employment. The engagement metrics are statistically analyzed to discover trends and relationships between themes and audience resonances. The resulting study helps identify how digital platforms mediate political discourse and suggests measures to improve communication strategies in the electoral context.

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