Perceptions of policy choice in contemporary democracies

Though the concept of choice is essential to democracy, little is known about how citizens make sense of the diversity of policies offered by political elites. Research has found that institutional arrangements such as low electoral thresholds and multiple party competitors are associated with great...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of political research 2010-10, Vol.49 (6), p.705-730
Main Authors: HELLWIG, TIMOTHY, MIKULSKA, ANNA, GEZGOR, BURCU
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Choices
Citizens
Cultural Pluralism
Decision making
Democracy
Heterogeneity
Institutions
Multiculturalism
Perception
Perceptions
Policy making
Political Campaigns
Political Elites
Political Parties
Political science
Public policy
Representation
Voters
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Summary:Though the concept of choice is essential to democracy, little is known about how citizens make sense of the diversity of policies offered by political elites. Research has found that institutional arrangements such as low electoral thresholds and multiple party competitors are associated with greater policy choice. Other work emphasises non‐institutional factors. No research, however, examines what the voters think. In this article these alternative explanations are assessed in terms of whether citizens believe parties to provide choice over policy. Evidence from 25 democracies reveals that electoral and party systems have no direct effect. Choice perceptions are instead affected by non‐policy factors: social heterogeneity and individual political dispositions. This result contrasts with analyses showing a strong connection between electoral rules and the diversity of messages communicated by parties during campaigns. The article also shows how choice perceptions matter for political behaviour. Overall, study findings imply that the promise of institutions for fostering representation is weaker than previously assumed.
ISSN:0304-4130
1475-6765
DOI:10.1111/j.1475-6765.2010.01917.x