Does poor health cause political passivity even in a Scandinavian welfare state? Investigating the impact of self-rated health using Swedish panel data

• Published in: Electoral studies 2020-06, Vol.65, p.102110, Article 102110
• Main Author: Adman, Per
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Causal effect; Causality; Citizen participation; Elections; Health; Health beliefs; Health status; Longitudinal studies; Panel data; Participation; Passivity; Political participation; Political Science; Public health; Scandinavian welfare state; Self evaluation; Statskunskap; Sweden; Voting; Welfare state
• ISSN: 0261-3794; 1873-6890; 1873-6890
• DOI: 10.1016/j.electstud.2019.102110

Poor health is generally believed to cause political passivity. Prior studies that satisfactorily acknowledge the causality problems involved are mainly limited to considering turnout and the U.S.A., so we lack knowledge of how non-electoral participation is affected in other countries. This article considers Sweden, characterized by a generous welfare state and an extensive public health system. Using unique panel data, which allow more thorough analyses of causality, poor health was found to have a negative effect on voting but not on non-electoral participation. By primarily focusing on other countries than Sweden and the U.S.A., it is a task for future longitudinal research to show whether the belief that poor health lead to political passivity is incorrect—or whether Sweden is an exceptional case, due to the barriers to participation being particularly low there.