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The Welfare State, Turnout, and the Economy: A Comparative Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2013

Benjamin Radcliff
Benjamin Radcliff*
Affiliation:
University of Notre Dame
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Abstract

While the economic voting literature is voluminous, comparatively little attention has been paid to the question of how—or whether—the economy affects turnout. I address this issue by examining national elections in 29 countries. Using time series data, the initial findings are replicated by a case study of American presidential and midterm elections since 1896. It is argued that the effect of economic adversity depends upon the degree of welfare state development. This relationship is argued to be nonlinear, so that mobilization occurs at either extreme while withdrawal obtains in the middle range. The importance to democratic theory, the study of elections, and the politics of welfare policy are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 86 , Issue 2 , June 1992 , pp. 444 - 454
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1992 

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