TIDEM: measuring political distance and polarization through retweet networks in Spanish regional elections

This study introduces TIDEM (Twitter Ideological Distance Estimation Method) a novel methodology for measuring ideological distances and evaluating polarization using Twitter retweet networks. By using network-based analysis and spatial proximity within ForceAtlas2 layouts, it provides a complementary perspective to traditional approaches (self-placement surveys, CHES and Manifesto analysis). TIDEM is applied to three Spanish regional elections, revealing consistent results through them, and a strong correlation with self-ideological surveys. Key findings indicate higher levels of polarization, likely due to the clustering effects inherent in retweet interactions. These results accentuate the potential of TIDEM as a valuable, scalable, and cost-effective complementary methodology.