Articles
Authors: Tom Van Der Meer , Jan Van Deth
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.
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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).