Institutions, Competitiveness, and Democratic Satisfaction

Abstract

This panel focuses on citizens’ satisfaction with the functioning of their democratic regime or on other indicators of political support. A high level of political support has long been recognised to be a central condition for political stability and for political legitimacy. Although many studies have focused on the determinants of satisfaction with democracy, there is a lack of consensus in the literature, in particular as regards the role of institutional and contextual factors. We thus invite papers that analyse the role played by institutions and by the characteristics of the electoral context and party system in influencing citizens’ level of political support. Questions on citizens’ satisfaction with democracy or alternative indicators have been asked in a number of national and international projects, allowing for both comparative and longitudinal studies. Possible research questions that could be addressed include: the impact of electoral systems on political support; the role played by the competitiveness of elections and by party system fragmentation and polarisation; the importance of the congruence between citizens preferences and the positions of parties, legislators, or governments. Papers that focus on the definition or measurement of democratic satisfaction are also welcome, as are papers that compare the role of institutional factors to other potential determinants, such as government performance or macroeconomic indicators.

Title	Details
Priority Congruence and Satisfaction with Democracy in Europe: Do Institutions Matter?	View Paper Details
The Interplay between Individual, Systemic and Contextual Influences on Satisfaction with Democracy	View Paper Details
Satisfaction with Democracy in a Two Round System	View Paper Details
Satisfaction with Democracy: Individual and contextual correlates of an often used, misused and abused measure of legitimacy.	View Paper Details
Satisfaction with Democracy as a Measure of Quality of Democracy	View Paper Details