Political Consumerism

Political consumerism refers to a form of political participation in which consumers leverage market dynamics for political, ethical, or environmental ends. This can take several forms, such as boycotts, buycotts, discursive actions, and lifestyle changes. Empirical studies reveal regional and individual differences in the prevalence of such behaviors, often linked to factors like active engagement in organizations, strong political beliefs, education level, and interest in politics. Digital media has fuelled the rise in political consumerism. As online platforms facilitate information exchange and mobilization, they prompt novel political consumerism strategies. In this entry, we provide a primer on political consumerism, synthesize some empirical findings related to political communication research, and outline promising avenues for future research.