CAUSES OF VOTER TURNOUT CHANGE IN POLAND: EXAMPLES OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN 2005 AND 2007 (Przyczyny zmiany frekwencji wyborczej w Polsce: przyklady wyborów parlamentarnych w 2005 i 2007 roku)

• Authors: Czesnik Mikolaj
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The aim of this article is to discuss causes of voter turnout change in Poland. Polish National Election Study data for the 2005 and 2007 parliamentary elections are used. The article presents theoretical model of voter turnout change. Then it proposes research design for investigating voter turnout dynamics and two alternative hypotheses explaining this phenomenon. First explains voter turnout change by referring to macro level processes, second emphasises the role of micro level dynamics. Empirical analyses suggest that voter turnout changes in Poland occur first of all due to micro level changes (transitions from voting to abstention or vice versa), and not because of macro level processes (changes within the electorate structure). Instability of voter turnout is not random - there are many statistically significant correlates of this phenomenon, such as gender, age, satisfaction with democracy.

Keywords

EN

ELECTIONS; VOTER TURNOUT; VOTING BEHAVIOR

Discipline

• SOCIOLOGY: SOCIOLOGY

• Publisher: Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Studia Socjologiczne
• Year: 2009
• Issue: 3(194)
• Pages: 27-52
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Czesnik Mikolaj

• Mikolaj Czesnik, Instytut Studiów Politycznych PAN, Zaklad Systemów Spoleczno-Politycznych, ul. Polna 18/20, 00-625 Warszawa, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

09PLAAAA06872