Electronic Theses and Dissertation

ABSTRAK
Perkembangan media sosial telah mengubah pola komunikasi politik, termasuk melalui praktik political endorsement yang dilakukan oleh opinion leader dalam menyampaikan dukungan terhadap kandidat politik. Fenomena ini menjadi penting untuk dikaji karena mahasiswa pemilih pemula merupakan kelompok yang aktif menggunakan media sosial dan berpotensi dipengaruhi oleh pesan politik yang disampaikan figur publik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh political endorsement melalui media sosial terhadap sikap politik mahasiswa pemilih pemula di Kota Banda Aceh pada Pemilihan Presiden 2024. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan metode survei. Populasi penelitian adalah mahasiswa pemilih pemula di Kota Banda Aceh, dengan jumlah responden sebanyak 126 orang yang diperoleh menggunakan teknik accidental sampling. Data dianalisis menggunakan analisis regresi linear sederhana, dengan bantuan program IBM SPSS Versi 27. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa political endorsement berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap sikap politik mahasiswa pemilih pemula. Hal tersebut dibuktikan dengan nilai koefisien regresi sebesar 1,058, nilai t hitung sebesar 33,965 yang lebih besar daripada t tabel sebesar 1,979, serta nilai signifikansi

ABSTRACT The rapid development of social media has transformed the pattern of political communication, including the practice of political endorsement carried out by opinion leaders in expressing support for political candidates. This phenomenon is important to examine because first-time student voters represent a group that actively uses social media and is potentially influenced by political messages delivered by public figures. This study aims to examine the influence of political endorsement through social media on the political attitudes of first-time student voters in Banda Aceh City during the 2024 Presidential Election. This research employed a quantitative approach using a survey method. The study population consisted of first-time student voters in Banda Aceh City, with a sample of 126 respondents selected through an accidental sampling technique. Data were analyzed through simple linear regression analysis with the assistance of IBM SPSS Statistics Version 27. The results indicate that political endorsement has a positive and significant influence on the political attitudes of first-time student voters. This is evidenced by a regression coefficient of 1.058, a calculated t-value of 33.965, which is greater than the t-table value of 1.979, and a significance value of < 0.001. Furthermore, the coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.903 indicates that political endorsement explains 90.3% of the variance in the political attitudes of first-time student voters, while the remaining 9.7% is influenced by other factors outside the scope of this study. This research is expected to contribute to the development of political communication studies, particularly regarding the role of political endorsement and opinion leaders on social media in shaping the political attitudes of first-time voters. Keywords: Political Endorsement, Social Media, Political Attitudes, Opinion Leader, First-Time Voters