Evaluate how social media trends influence public policy priorities. Analyse the risks of governance by virality. Suggest reforms to preserve evidence-based policymaking.
Kartavya Desk Staff
Topic: Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
Topic: Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
Q2. Evaluate how social media trends influence public policy priorities. Analyse the risks of governance by virality. Suggest reforms to preserve evidence-based policymaking. (15 M)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: NIE
Why the question Public policy in the digital era is increasingly shaped by attention cycles, online outrage, and viral narratives, which can distort governance priorities Key Demand of the question The question requires explaining how social media trends influence what governments prioritise and how they act. It also demands analysing the governance risks of policy-by-virality and suggesting reforms that preserve long-term, data-driven, consultative policymaking. Structure of the Answer: Introduction Briefly introduce the idea of the attention economy and how virality can shift governance from evidence to visibility. Body Explain how social media trends influence policy priorities through agenda-setting, emotional amplification, and pressure on administrative decision-making. Analyse the risks of governance by virality such as due process dilution, misinformation-led decisions, policy volatility, and majoritarian bias. Suggest reforms like stronger institutional consultation, impact assessment, expert-driven policymaking, fact-check capacity, and safeguards for constitutional decision-making. Conclusion Conclude by stating that democracy needs social media responsiveness without surrendering policymaking to trends, and that institutions must anchor governance in evidence and constitutionalism.
Why the question
Public policy in the digital era is increasingly shaped by attention cycles, online outrage, and viral narratives, which can distort governance priorities
Key Demand of the question
The question requires explaining how social media trends influence what governments prioritise and how they act. It also demands analysing the governance risks of policy-by-virality and suggesting reforms that preserve long-term, data-driven, consultative policymaking.
Structure of the Answer:
Introduction Briefly introduce the idea of the attention economy and how virality can shift governance from evidence to visibility.
• Explain how social media trends influence policy priorities through agenda-setting, emotional amplification, and pressure on administrative decision-making.
• Analyse the risks of governance by virality such as due process dilution, misinformation-led decisions, policy volatility, and majoritarian bias.
• Suggest reforms like stronger institutional consultation, impact assessment, expert-driven policymaking, fact-check capacity, and safeguards for constitutional decision-making.
Conclusion Conclude by stating that democracy needs social media responsiveness without surrendering policymaking to trends, and that institutions must anchor governance in evidence and constitutionalism.