Political Behaviour

Political behaviour is a core concept allowing to understand how democracies work. During the course we will cover a wide range of dimensions of citizen political behaviour trying to understand its psychological, social and institutional determinants. We will also discuss the over-time dynamics of political participation and its cross-national diversity. Discussions will be driven by theoretical approaches and based on empirical evidence from stable and new democracies. At the end of the course students should have a good understanding of political behaviour across various political and cultural contexts.

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Political behaviour is a core concept allowing to understand how democracies work. During the course we will cover a wide range of dimensions of citizen political behaviour trying to understand its psychological, social and institutional determinants. We will also discuss the over-time dynamics of political participation and its cross-national diversity. Discussions will be driven by theoretical approaches and based on empirical evidence from stable and new democracies. At the end of the course students should have a good understanding of political behaviour across various political and cultural contexts.

1. Introductory meeting: How political behaviour is studied.

2. What is political behaviour?

Dalton, R.J. 2020. Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. 7th Edition. CQ Press. Ch. 1

Additional reading:

• Russell J. Dalton and Hans‐Dieter Klingemann. 2007. “Citizens and Political Behavior” in: The Oxford Handbook of Political Behavior.

• Dalton, R. J. (2000). Citizen Attitudes and Political Behavior. Comparative Political Studies, 33(6-7).

3. The nature of mass beliefs

Dalton, R.J. 2020. Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. 7th Edition. CQ Press. Ch. 2

Additional reading:

• De Vreese, C. H., & Boomgaarden, H. (2006). News, political knowledge and participation: The differential effects of news media exposure on political knowledge and participation. Acta politica, 41, 317-341.

• Fraile, M., & Gomez, R. (2017). Bridging the enduring gender gap in political interest in Europe: The relevance of promoting gender equality. European journal of political research, 56(3), 601-618.

4. Modes of participation

Dalton, R.J. 2020. Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. 7th Edition. CQ Press. Ch. 3

Additional reading:

• Brady, Henry E., Sidney Verba, and Kay Lehman Schlozman. (1995). “Beyond SES: A Resource Model of Political Participation.” American Political Science Review 89 (June): 271-94.

• Vissers, S., & Stolle, D. (2014). The Internet and new modes of political participation: online versus offline participation. Information, Communication & Society, 17(8), 937-955.

• Holzer, Boris (2006). "Political consumerism between individual choice and collective action: social movements, role mobilization and signalling." International Journal of Consumer Studies 30.5, 405-415.

5. Who participates

Dalton, R.J. 2020. Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. 7th Edition. CQ Press. Ch. 4

Additional reading:

• Gallego, A. (2007). Unequal political participation in Europe. International Journal of Sociology, 37(4), 10-25.

• R. Inglehart and P. Norris. (2000) “The Developmental Theory of the Gender Gap: Women’s and Men’s Voting Behavior in Global Perspective”, International Political Science Review 21 (4): 441-463.

• Sloam, J. (2014). New voice, less equal: The civic and political engagement of young people in the United States and Europe. Comparative Political Studies, 47(5), 663-688.

• Kasara, Kimuli, and Pavithra Suryanarayan. 2015. “When Do the Rich Vote Less Than the Poor and Why? Explaining Turnout Inequality across the World.” American Journal of Political Science 59 (3): 613-27.

6. Values

Dalton, R.J. 2020. Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. 7th Edition. CQ Press. Ch. 5

Additional reading:

• Akaliyski, P. (2019). United in diversity? The convergence of cultural values among EU member states and candidates. European Journal of Political Research, 58(2), 388-411.

• Minkov, M., Welzel, C., & Schachner, M. (2020). Cultural evolution shifts the source of happiness from religion to subjective freedom. Journal of Happiness Studies, 21, 2873-2888.

• Ronald Inglehart, “Postmaterialist Values and the Shift from Survival to Self‐Expression Values”, in: The Oxford Handbook of Political Behavior.

7. Issues and Ideological Orientations

Dalton, R.J. 2020. Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. 7th Edition. CQ Press. Ch. 6

Additional reading:

• Wojcik, A. D., Cislak, A., & Schmidt, P. (2021). ‘The left is right’: Left and right political orientation across Eastern and Western Europe. The Social Science Journal, 1-17.

• Kirkizh, N., Froio, C., & Stier, S. (2022). Issue trade‐offs and the politics of representation: Experimental evidence from four European democracies. European Journal of Political Research.

8. Elections and Political Parties

Dalton, R.J. 2020. Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. 7th Edition. CQ Press. Ch. 7

Additional reading:

• Klüver, H., & Sagarzazu, I. (2016). Setting the agenda or responding to voters? Political parties, voters and issue attention. West European Politics, 39(2), 380-398.

• Rohrschneider, R., & Miles, M. R. (2015). Representation through parties? Environmental attitudes and party stances in Europe in 2013. Environmental Politics, 24(4), 617-640.

9. The Social Bases of Party Support

Dalton, R.J. 2020. Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. 7th Edition. CQ Press. Ch. 8

Additional reading:

• Evans, G. (2006). The social bases of political divisions in post-communist Eastern Europe. Annu. Rev. Sociol., 32, 245-270.

• Ford, Robert and Jennings, William (2020) The changing cleavage politics of Western Europe. Annual Review of Political Science, 23, 295-314.

10. Partisanship

Dalton, R.J. 2020. Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. 7th Edition. CQ Press. Ch. 9

Additional reading:

• Schickler, E., & Green, D. P. (1997). The stability of party identification in western democracies: results from eight panel surveys. Comparative Political Studies, 30(4), 450-483.

• Gidengil, E., Stolle, D., & Bergeron‐Boutin, O. (2022). The partisan nature of support for democratic backsliding: A comparative perspective. European Journal of Political Research, 61(4), 901-929.

• Conroy-Krutz, J., Moehler, D. C., & Aguilar, R. (2016). Partisan cues and vote choice in new multiparty systems. Comparative Political Studies, 49(1), 3-35.

11. Attitudes

Dalton, R.J. 2020. Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. 7th Edition. CQ Press. Ch. 10

Additional reading:

• Hobolt, S., Tilley, J., & Banducci, S. (2013). Clarity of responsibility: How government cohesion conditions performance voting. European journal of political research, 52(2), 164-187.

• Seeberg, H. B. (2020). The impact of opposition criticism on the public’s evaluation of government competence. Party Politics, 26(4), 484-495.

12. Political Representation

Dalton, R.J. 2020. Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. 7th Edition. CQ Press. Ch. 11

Additional reading:

• Saalfeld, T. & Bischof, D. (2013). Minority-ethnic MPs and the substantive representation of minority interests in the House of Commons, 2005– 2011. Parliamentary Affairs 66(2): 305-328.

• Franceschet, S. & Piscopo, J.M. (2008). Gender quotas and women's substantive representation: Lessons from Argentina. Politics & Gender 4(3): 393-425.

13. Citizens and the Democratic Process

Dalton, R.J. 2020. Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. 7th Edition. CQ Press. Ch. 12

Additional reading:

• Ivanov, D. (2023). Economic insecurity, Institutional trust and populist voting across Europe. Comparative Economic Studies, 1-22.

• Letki, N. (2018). Trust in newly democratic regimes. The Oxford handbook of social and political trust, 15, 335-356.

Key reading:

Dalton, R.J. 2020. Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. 7th Edition. CQ Press.

Additional reading:

Dalton, R. J., & Klingemann, H. D. (Eds.). 2007. The Oxford handbook of political behavior. Oxford University Press

Further reading:

• Russell J. Dalton and Hans‐Dieter Klingemann. 2007. “Citizens and Political Behavior” in: The Oxford Handbook of Political Behavior.

• Dalton, R. J. (2000). Citizen Attitudes and Political Behavior. Comparative Political Studies, 33(6-7).

• De Vreese, C. H., & Boomgaarden, H. (2006). News, political knowledge and participation: The differential effects of news media exposure on political knowledge and participation. Acta politica, 41, 317-341.

• Fraile, M., & Gomez, R. (2017). Bridging the enduring gender gap in political interest in Europe: The relevance of promoting gender equality. European journal of political research, 56(3), 601-618.

• Brady, Henry E., Sidney Verba, and Kay Lehman Schlozman. (1995). “Beyond SES: A Resource Model of Political Participation.” American Political Science Review 89 (June): 271-94.

• Vissers, S., & Stolle, D. (2014). The Internet and new modes of political participation: online versus offline participation. Information, Communication & Society, 17(8), 937-955.

• Holzer, Boris (2006). "Political consumerism between individual choice and collective action: social movements, role mobilization and signalling." International Journal of Consumer Studies 30.5, 405-415.

• Gallego, A. (2007). Unequal political participation in Europe. International Journal of Sociology, 37(4), 10-25.

• R. Inglehart and P. Norris. (2000) “The Developmental Theory of the Gender Gap: Women’s and Men’s Voting Behavior in Global Perspective”, International Political Science Review 21 (4): 441-463.

• Sloam, J. (2014). New voice, less equal: The civic and political engagement of young people in the United States and Europe. Comparative Political Studies, 47(5), 663-688.

• Kasara, Kimuli, and Pavithra Suryanarayan. 2015. “When Do the Rich Vote Less Than the Poor and Why? Explaining Turnout Inequality across the World.” American Journal of Political Science 59 (3): 613-27.

• Akaliyski, P. (2019). United in diversity? The convergence of cultural values among EU member states and candidates. European Journal of Political Research, 58(2), 388-411.

• Minkov, M., Welzel, C., & Schachner, M. (2020). Cultural evolution shifts the source of happiness from religion to subjective freedom. Journal of Happiness Studies, 21, 2873-2888.

• Ronald Inglehart, “Postmaterialist Values and the Shift from Survival to Self‐Expression Values”, in: The Oxford Handbook of Political Behavior.

• Wojcik, A. D., Cislak, A., & Schmidt, P. (2021). ‘The left is right’: Left and right political orientation across Eastern and Western Europe. The Social Science Journal, 1-17.

• Kirkizh, N., Froio, C., & Stier, S. (2022). Issue trade‐offs and the politics of representation: Experimental evidence from four European democracies. European Journal of Political Research.

• Klüver, H., & Sagarzazu, I. (2016). Setting the agenda or responding to voters? Political parties, voters and issue attention. West European Politics, 39(2), 380-398.

• Rohrschneider, R., & Miles, M. R. (2015). Representation through parties? Environmental attitudes and party stances in Europe in 2013. Environmental Politics, 24(4), 617-640.

• Evans, G. (2006). The social bases of political divisions in post-communist Eastern Europe. Annu. Rev. Sociol., 32, 245-270.

• Ford, Robert and Jennings, William (2020) The changing cleavage politics of Western Europe. Annual Review of Political Science, 23, 295-314.

• Schickler, E., & Green, D. P. (1997). The stability of party identification in western democracies: results from eight panel surveys. Comparative Political Studies, 30(4), 450-483.

• Gidengil, E., Stolle, D., & Bergeron‐Boutin, O. (2022). The partisan nature of support for democratic backsliding: A comparative perspective. European Journal of Political Research, 61(4), 901-929.

• Conroy-Krutz, J., Moehler, D. C., & Aguilar, R. (2016). Partisan cues and vote choice in new multiparty systems. Comparative Political Studies, 49(1), 3-35.

• Hobolt, S., Tilley, J., & Banducci, S. (2013). Clarity of responsibility: How government cohesion conditions performance voting. European journal of political research, 52(2), 164-187.

• Seeberg, H. B. (2020). The impact of opposition criticism on the public’s evaluation of government competence. Party Politics, 26(4), 484-495.

• Saalfeld, T. & Bischof, D. (2013). Minority-ethnic MPs and the substantive representation of minority interests in the House of Commons, 2005– 2011. Parliamentary Affairs 66(2): 305-328.

• Franceschet, S. & Piscopo, J.M. (2008). Gender quotas and women's substantive representation: Lessons from Argentina. Politics & Gender 4(3): 393-425.

• Ivanov, D. (2023). Economic insecurity, Institutional trust and populist voting across Europe. Comparative Economic Studies, 1-22.

• Letki, N. (2018). Trust in newly democratic regimes. The Oxford handbook of social and political trust, 15, 335-356.

Course assessment: performance during in-class assessment (30%) and final written exam (70%). The exam will consists of three short essays addressing topics presented during the exam.