Trade-offs in a bigger pie: how the relationships between digital civic infrastructure and political participation vary across rural and urban communities – the case of Michigan

This study draws on a survey sample of the U.S. state of Michigan, combined with public data, to test the interrelationships among local storytelling networks, broadband availability, and political participation. Expanding upon Communication Infrastructure Theory, our analysis presents original findings indicating that the relationship between digital civic infrastructure and voter turnout varies across geographic divisions: Among rural residents, access to local information is more negatively associated with voter turnout for those with higher broadband availability, while the opposite pattern is found among urban residents. Moreover, the study aligns with previous research, confirming a positive relationship between local organization connectedness and civic participation. Our quantitative case analysis opens new avenues for future work exploring the democratic potential of the internet, integrating geographic context.