Understanding the Competing Effects of Economic Hardship and Income Inequality on Voter Turnout

Wilford, Allan M.

doi:10.1111/polp.12344

Cited by 15 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…The relationship has predominantly been examined cross-nationally at the individual level (Anderson and Beramendi, 2008;Filetti, 2016;Filetti and Janmaat, 2018;Horn, 2011;Jaime-Castillo, 2009;Jensen and Jespersen, 2017;Lancee and Van de Werfhorst, 2012;Persson, 2010;Schäfer and Streeck, 2013;Schäfer and Schwander, 2019;Solt, 2008;Steinbrecher and Seeber, 2011;Wilford, 2020), but also within the US (Solt, 2010;Szewczyk and Crowder-Meyer, 2020). The studies span various time periods and find inequality to predominantly exert either a negative or null relationship.…”

Section: Inequality and Turnout Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Inequality, policy polarization and the income gap in turnout

Polacko

2021

Party Politics

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Previous research into the relationship between income inequality and turnout inequality has produced mixed results, as consensus is lacking whether inequality reduces turnout for all income groups, low-income earners, or no one. Therefore, this paper builds on this literature by introducing supply-side logic, through the first individual-level test of the impact that income inequality (moderated by policy manifesto positions) has on turnout. It does so through multilevel logistic regressions utilizing mixed effects, on a sample of 30 advanced democracies in 102 elections from 1996 to 2016. It finds that higher levels of income inequality significantly reduce turnout and widen the turnout gap between rich and poor. However, it also finds that when party systems are more polarized, low-income earners are mobilized the greatest extent coupled with higher inequality, resulting in a significantly reduced income gap in turnout. The findings magnify the negative impacts income inequality can exert on political behavior and contribute to the study of policy offerings as a key moderating mechanism in the relationship.

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Section: Inequality and Turnout Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Inequality, policy polarization and the income gap in turnout

Polacko

2021

Party Politics

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“…It has been theorized that children from high-SES families receive more parental political socialization than children from low-SES families (Verba et al 2003(Verba et al , 2005Schlozman et al 2012Schlozman et al , 2018. This is because high-SES parents participate in politics more actively than low-SES parents (Campbell et al 1960;Verba and Nie 1972;Milbrath and Goel 1977;Verba et al 1978Verba et al , 1995Verba et al , 2003Dalton 2017;Quaranta 2018;Wilford 2020). High-SES individuals do so because they have more resources (money, knowledge, social skills) and motivation to participate than low-SES individuals (Brady et al 1995;Verba et al 1995).…”

Section: The Influence Of Parents and Education On Political Particip...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Social origin and political participation: does education compensate for or reinforce family advantages and disadvantages?

2023

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Whether educational attainment compensates for or reinforces family disadvantages in political participation is currently a debated topic. Previous research has shown a consistent relationship between social origin and political participation in Western societies: individuals originating from low-socioeconomic-status families participate in politics less than those from high-socioeconomic-status families, which violates the democratic requirement of equality of political voice. In this paper, we investigate whether secondary education compensates for or reinforces the political inequality shaped by social origin. We used a German representative sample of 1012 identical twins aged 21–25 and applied family fixed effects regression models, which allowed us to control for measured and unmeasured social and genetic confounding. We found a positive effect of educational attainment on participation, which is most likely causal. Family disadvantage resulting from low parental education is compensated for by children finishing the academic track (Gymnasium) as opposed to the lower vocational track (Hauptschule). At the same time, family advantage originating from high parental occupational status is reinforced for children completing the academic track. We found no advantage nor disadvantage, compensation nor reinforcement, related to parental income. We conclude that compensation and reinforcement of family disadvantage may remain unnoticed if components of parental SES are not distinguished.

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“…Studies have found inequality and turnout to exert either a negative or null relationship, with scant evidence of a positive relationship. Fully two‐thirds of studies find a negative and statistically significant effect (Anderson & Beramendi, 2008; Jaime‐Castillo, 2009: Jensen & Jespersen, 2017; Lancee & Van de Werfhorst, 2012; Macdonald, 2021; Polacko, 2022a; Polacko et al, 2021; Schäfer, 2013; Schäfer & Schwander, 2019; Solt, 2008, 2010; Steinbrecher & Seeber, 2011; Szewczyk & Crowder‐Meyer, 2022; Wilford, 2020) but the absence of any effect or, indeed, a positive effect in the other studies (Fumagalli & Narciso, 2012; Horn, 2011; Persson, 2010; Stockemer & Parent, 2014; Stockemer & Scruggs, 2012), both indicate that the relationship between inequality and turnout is complex. These academics have developed two principal theories attempting to explain the effects of inequality on turnout, namely “power resource” and “conflict” theory.…”

Section: Turnout and Inequalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Voter turnout has been on the decline in many advanced democracies. While scholars point to a range of causes—such as generational value change (Blais & Rubenson, 2013; Kostelka & Blais, 2021), party system convergence (Callander & Wilson, 2007), declining satisfaction with democracy (Foa et al, 2020), and increasing elective institutions (Kostelka & Blais, 2021)—mounting evidence points to rising income inequality as a culprit (Anderson & Beramendi, 2008; Jaime‐Castillo, 2009: Jensen & Jespersen, 2017; Lancee & Van de Werfhorst, 2012; Macdonald, 2021; Polacko, 2022a; Polacko et al, 2021; Schäfer, 2013; Schäfer & Schwander, 2019; Solt, 2008, 2010; Steinbrecher & Seeber, 2011; Szewczyk & Crowder‐Meyer, 2022; Wilford, 2020). Simultaneously, the once‐ascendent social democratic party family has experienced pronounced electoral decline.…”

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confidence: 99%

Turning off the base: Social democracy's neoliberal turn, income inequality, and turnout

Polacko

2023

Politics & Policy

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Greater party system polarization has recently been shown to influence voter turnout under conditions of higher income inequality. This article builds on these findings by introducing into the framework the policy positions of social democratic parties. It does so through multilevel regression on a sample of 30 advanced democracies in 111 elections, from 1996 to 2019. In doing so, it contributes to the identification of party policy offerings as a mechanism moderating inequality and turnout. It finds that income inequality significantly reduces voter turnout, which is substantially magnified when social democratic parties adopt rightward welfare state positions. It also finds that social democratic parties can largely mitigate the negative effects of inequality on turnout for low‐income individuals by offering leftist welfare state positions. The findings carry important implications for understanding the electoral consequences of both party positioning and rising inequality in advanced democracies.Related ArticlesSimon, Christopher A., and Raymond Tatalovich. 2022. “The Turnout Myth and Referendum Voting in the United States.” Politics & Policy 50(3): 472–86. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12483.Stockemer, Daniel, and Stephanie Parent. 2013. “The Inequality Turnout Nexus: New Evidence from Presidential Elections.” Politics & Policy 42(2): 221–45. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12067.Wilford, Allan M. 2020. “Understanding the Competing Effects of Economic Hardship and Income Inequality on Voter Turnout.” Politics & Policy 48(2): 314–38. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12344.

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Understanding the Competing Effects of Economic Hardship and Income Inequality on Voter Turnout

Cited by 15 publications

References 46 publications

Inequality, policy polarization and the income gap in turnout

Inequality, policy polarization and the income gap in turnout

Social origin and political participation: does education compensate for or reinforce family advantages and disadvantages?

Turning off the base: Social democracy's neoliberal turn, income inequality, and turnout

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