Articles

Opkomstplicht : stimulans of frustratie ? : Een landenvergelijkende studie naar de gevolgen van opkomstplicht op politieke participatie

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Abstract

Compulsory voting does not only increase voting turnout; it is also expected to have positive spill-over effects. Supposedly, citizens who are obliged to cast a vote will be more engaged in politics than citizens who are allowed to avoid politics. This article reviews the main arguments for this expectation. A rival expectation is formulated based on the idea that enforcements, duties and sanctions are likely to decrease the willingness of citizens to participate politically. A cross-national multi-level empirical test - covering turnout and politica! participation in twenty established democracies - shows that compulsory voting indeed increases voting turnout. Yet neither positive nor negative spill-over effects for other modes of political participation can be detected.  Apparently, the consequences of compulsory voting are restricted to turnout.

How to Cite:

Van Der Meer, T. & Van Deth, J., (2010) “Opkomstplicht : stimulans of frustratie ? : Een landenvergelijkende studie naar de gevolgen van opkomstplicht op politieke participatie”, Res Publica 52(1), 73-93.