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Economic Voting in EU Referendums: Sociotropic versus Egocentric Voting in the Lisbon Treaty Plebiscites in Ireland
[journal article]
Abstract Economic voting is one of the most studied aspects of electoral behaviour. The dominant view is that sociotropic economic
considerations are more important to voters in national elections. However, other research suggests that utilitarian motiva-
tions are key to understanding support for the EU. ... view more
Economic voting is one of the most studied aspects of electoral behaviour. The dominant view is that sociotropic economic
considerations are more important to voters in national elections. However, other research suggests that utilitarian motiva-
tions are key to understanding support for the EU. An EU integration referendum offers the opportunity to explore whether
and when sociotropic or utilitarian motivations are more important in determining vote choice. The unusual combination
of two successive referendums in Ireland on the Lisbon Treaty, either side of the Global Financial Crisis, provides the ideal
opportunity to test these assumptions. Using data from two post-referendum surveys, we demonstrate that the economy
mattered in both referendums but that different economic motivations drove vote choice in each, with sociotropic motiva-
tions more critical as a result of the Global Financial Crisis. Our study has implications for economic voting and referendums
and demonstrates that context is crucial in determining a voter’s economic motivations in a plebiscite.... view less
Keywords
Lisbon Treaty; financial crisis; referendum; voting behavior; Ireland; voter; motivation; analysis; economic situation; altruistic behavior; utilitarism; European integration; national economy; economic factors; political situation
Classification
Political Process, Elections, Political Sociology, Political Culture
Free Keywords
economic voting; egocentric voting; financial crisis; Ireland; Lisbon Treaty; referendum; sociotropic voting
Document language
English
Publication Year
2019
Page/Pages
p. 334-350
Journal
Politics and Governance, 7 (2019) 2
ISSN
2183-2463
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed