Citizen Responses to the Global Financial Crisis: A Comparative Study of Participation and Democratic Support

Abstract

The global financial crisis was the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The crisis, which had its origins in the United States' housing market crash of 2007, led to global impacts including rising unemployment and underemployment, home foreclosures, fewer opportunities for young people, and a loss of retirement savings. Previous research has examined the role of economic conditions in influencing various types of political behaviors and attitudes, however this has primarily pertained to fluctuations in economic performance during ordinary times. The magnitude of the recent crisis presents an unprecedented opportunity to examine how citizen political engagement in democratic societies is affected by a major economic shock. This thesis investigates how the global financial crisis has affected citizen political behavior - including voting behavior, civic engagement, and political protest - as well as democratic attitudes.

To investigate the impact of the crisis, the study uses cross-national survey data fielded before and after the crisis in countries affected by the crisis to varying degrees. This enables a comparison both over time and across countries. Data from the previous two waves of the World Values Survey in 18 democratic countries is used to investigate the crisis impacts on civic engagement, political protest, and democratic support, while data from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems in 13 countries facilitates an analysis of electoral behavior. Multilevel modeling and other quantitative methods are used to assess how factors at the country and individual level affected citizen political engagement before and after the crisis hit.

The thesis tests a number of theories regarding the relationship between economic conditions and political behavior, including grievances and resources approaches. The analysis finds that countries harder hit by the crisis were more likely to experience declines in voter turnout, civic engagement, political protest and democratic support, suggesting the crisis had a demobilizing effect on participation. Similarly, at the individual level there was no evidence of a mobilization amongst those most vulnerable to the crisis, rather it continued to be those with resources that were most likely to participate in politics. The study contributes to our understanding of how economic conditions influence political attitudes and behaviors, and more broadly speaks to the political ramifications of major economic shocks. Show more