Agenda for Action

Although social media warfare tactics have played a part in previous elections, and especially during the Barack Obama campaigns of 2008 and 2012, social media warfare tactics took the main stage during the 2016 campaigns and elections. Still, many candidates have been less than stellar when it comes to using social media warfare tactics. Action steps for political parties, campaigns, and candidates include, but are not limited to the following areas:

• ? Political parties would do well to add social media warfare tactics training to campaign education programs including fighting against negative offensive tactics and social media etiquette.
• ? Candidates for national offices should gain better control over their social media warfare activities, screen staff for previous social media activity, and train staff on the proper use of social media.
• ? Candidates for state and local offices should develop more effective social media warfare tactics and utilize many of the web resources that are available to train staff.
• ? All candidates for all offices should clearly indicate to supporters that they expect them to use proper social media etiquette when making posts in support of the candidate.
• ? Further research should be conducted by several related academic disciplines on the impact of social media warfare on the electoral process.