How the Internet is disrupting politics

[Commentary] Social media and a proliferation of online news organizations are undercutting the power of political and media elites, resulting in an electoral system that's more open — and more chaotic — than ever before. The Internet's disruption of the political establishment explains how outsider candidates — Sen Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on the left, Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Donald Trump on the right — have made such huge gains despite the overwhelming opposition of insiders in their respective parties. And it suggests that their rise isn't a fluke.

In future elections, insurgent campaigns are only going to become more common, while political insiders will struggle to retain the influence they used to wield. The remarkable thing about this is that the disruption of traditional media is still in its early days. Traditional newspapers, magazines, radio broadcasts, and television networks still reach large audiences. Donald Trump's rise was aided as much by his popularity on cable television as on social media. This means that social media's disruption of politics is only going to accelerate in the next few elections.