SOCIAL NETWORKS IN ELECTORAL CAMPAIGNS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CASES OF DONALD TRUMP (USA) AND VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY (UKRAINE)

This research has analysed the application of social networks in electoral campaigns in the USA and in Ukraine. It also has compared the features of the winning campaigns using social networking during the presidential elections of Donald Trump in 2016 in the United States, and Volodymyr Zelensky in 2019 in Ukraine. It is asserted that despite the differences in time between the campaigns, in the countries, in the electorate and in the circumstances under which the campaigns are held, the wide use of Internet communications has become a common basic feature of Trump's and Zelensky's campaigns. It has been moreover proved that the victory of a candidate depends upon a number of aspects. Among them are: the candidate's image, his or her personal qualities, the relevance of their election programme to the demands and expectations of the citizens, the peculiar political or socio-economic situation in the country etc. However, social networks are still considered to be an efficient tool for political racing, interacting with the electorate and amplifying the database of an electoral campaign.