Proč se měnila úroveň účasti ve volbách do Poslanecké sněmovny v letech 1996–2010?

• Authors: Lukáš Linek

Title variants

EN

WHY DID VOTER TURNOUT IN THE CZECH GENERAL ELECTIONS CHANGE BETWEEN 1996 AND 2010?

• Languages of publication: CS

Abstracts

EN

The aim of this study is to explain why turnout in Czech general elections exhibited considerable variation between 1996 and 2010. Using valence theory this article explores the differential turnout in terms of the expected benefits of voting for a party on the basis of valence and policy considerations. This individual-level analysis of electoral participation employs four post-election surveys and uses an alternative operationalisation of the expected benefi ts of voting, which makes it possible to conduct cross-national and cross-time comparisons. The results presented in the article demonstrate that change in voter turnout across general elections stems from the change in the expected benefits from voting aggregated at the level of the electorate. One key implication of this research is that attempts to facilitate increased electoral participation through institutional reform are unlikely to be successful. This is because turnout is primarily determined by voter motivation. Increased turnout depends critically on ensuring a level of party choice that gives voters an incentive to go the polls.

Keywords

EN

TURNOUT; ABSTENTION; VALENCE POLITICS; CZECH REPUBLIC

Discipline

• HISTORY: HISTORY

• Publisher: Institute of Sociology, Czech Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Sociologický časopis. Czech Sociological Review
• Year: 2011
• Volume: 47
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 9-33

Contributors

author

Lukáš Linek

• Sociologický ústav AV ČR, v.v.i., Jilská 1, Prague, 110 00, Czech Republic