Turnout in Germany

Markus Steinbrecher; Sandra Huber; Prof. Dr. Hans Rattinger

doi:10.5771/9783845201535

Summary

Die Wahlbeteiligung in Deutschland ist – vor allem bei Landtags- und Europawahlen – seit Ende der 1980er Jahre stark zurückgegangen. Der vorläufige Tiefpunkt dieser Entwicklung war die Europawahl 2004 mit einer Wahlbeteiligung von 43 Prozent. Die Ursachen für diese dramatische Abnahme werden immer häufiger diskutiert.

Dieses Buch analysiert die Beteiligung der Deutschen bei Europa-, Bundestags- und Landtagswahlen seit 1979. Es wendet auf der Basis umfangreichen Datenmaterials ein breites Untersuchungsdesign an und bezieht die wichtigsten Ansätze der empirischen Wahlforschung ein.

Wahlbeteiligung wird im ersten Teil des Buches unter Verwendung von Daten der amtlichen Statistik durch den geographischen und sozialen Kontext beschrieben. Noch wichtiger für die Interpretation sinkender Wahlbeteiligung sind die individuellen Einstellungen und Motive der Wahlberechtigten, die im zweiten Teil behandelt werden. Es zeigt sich, dass die Abschwächung sozialer Normen und politische Unzufriedenheit für die Wahlbeteiligung nicht folgenlos bleiben. Im Mehrebenensystem spielen zudem europa-, bundes- und landesspezifische Faktoren eine wichtige Rolle.

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Bibliographic data

Publication year: 2007
Publication date: 15.03.2007
ISBN-Print: 978-3-8329-2089-0
ISBN-Online: 978-3-8452-0153-5
Publisher: Nomos, Baden-Baden
Series: Studien zur Wahl- und Einstellungsforschung
Volume: 1
Language: English
Pages: 362
Product type: Book Titles

Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis No access Pages 2 - 10
List of Figures No access Pages 11 - 12
List of Tables No access Pages 13 - 18
Glossary No access Pages 19 - 20
Declining Turnout in Germany: The Research Problem No access Pages 21 - 30
1. Electoral Participation in Theories of Democracy: Input-oriented vs. Output-oriented Approaches No access Pages 31 - 35
2. Electoral Participation as a Form of Political Participation No access Pages 35 - 37
3. Dependence of Electoral Participation on Political Culture No access Pages 37 - 40
1. 1. European Parliament Elections No access Pages 41 - 46
  2. Bundestag Elections No access Pages 46 - 50
  3. Landtag Elections No access Pages 50 - 52
2. The Second-Order Election Model No access Pages 52 - 56
1. Aggregate Data No access Pages 57 - 61
2. Individual Data No access Pages 61 - 66
3. Representative Electoral Statistics No access Pages 66 - 68
1. 1. Development of Turnout in European Parliament Elections No access Pages 69 - 75
  2. Development of Turnout in Bundestag Elections No access Pages 75 - 81
  3. Development of Turnout in Landtag Elections No access Pages 81 - 86
2. 1. Cross-level Effects on Turnout No access Pages 86 - 90
  2. European Parliament Elections No access Pages 90 - 99
  3. Bundestag Elections No access Pages 99 - 108
  4. Landtag Elections No access Pages 108 - 118
3. 1. Differences Between Electoral Levels No access Pages 118 - 121
  2. Electoral Cycles and Simultaneous Elections No access Pages 121 - 127
4. 1. Factors of Turnout No access Pages 127 - 130
  2. Kreise-Types of Turnout No access Pages 130 - 135
5. 1. Vote Intention and Recall in European Parliament Elections No access Pages 135 - 138
  2. Vote Intention and Recall in Bundestag Elections No access Pages 138 - 144
  3. Development of Turnout at the Individual Level No access Pages 144 - 152
1. Definition of Social Structure No access Pages 153 - 155
2. Short Description of Germany’s Social Structure No access Pages 155 - 157
3. The Relevance of the Relationship Between Social Structure and Turnout No access Pages 157 - 159
4. Factor Analysis of Social Structure No access Pages 159 - 165
5. Types of Kreise According to Social Structure No access Pages 165 - 168
1. 1. 1. European Parliament Elections No access
    2. Bundestag Elections No access
    3. Landtag Elections No access
  2. 1. European Parliament Elections No access
    2. Bundestag Elections No access
    3. Landtag Elections No access
  3. Effects of Social Structure on Turnout in Selected Areas and Regions No access Pages 190 - 193
2. 1. European Parliament Elections No access Pages 193 - 195
  2. Bundestag Elections No access Pages 195 - 196
  3. Landtag Elections No access Pages 196 - 198
3. 1. European Parliament Elections No access Pages 198 - 199
  2. Bundestag Elections No access Pages 199 - 201
  3. Landtag Elections No access Pages 201 - 202
4. 1. European Parliament Elections No access Pages 202 - 206
  2. Bundestag Elections No access Pages 206 - 208
  3. Landtag Elections No access Pages 208 - 212
1. 1. 1. The Sociological Approach No access
    2. The Social-Psychological Approach No access
    3. The Rational Choice Approach No access
  2. 1. Dealignment and Realignment No access
    2. Value Change No access
    3. Political Alienation and Disenchantment with Politics No access
2. 1. 1. Social Structural Influences on Turnout No access
    2. Partisan Dealignment: Party Identification and Turnout No access
    3. 1. Acceptance of the Wahlnorm over Time No access
      2. Wahlnorm and Participation in Bundestag Elections No access
      3. Changes in Acceptance of the Wahlnorm and Participation at the Individual Level No access
      4. Interpretation of the “Classical” Wahlnorm Question No access
    4. 1. Development of Interest in Politics over Time No access
      2. Interest in Politics and Turnout No access
      3. Political Involvement and Turnout at Different Levels of Governance No access
      4. Interest in Politics and Acceptance of the Wahlnorm No access
  2. 1. Discontent with Democracy and Turnout No access
    2. Discontent with Political Actors and Turnout No access
3. The Impact of Issue and Party Differentials on Turnout No access Pages 282 - 293
4. 1. Reasons for Non-Voting in European Elections No access Pages 293 - 298
  2. Development of Europe-Specific Attitudes 1979-2004 No access Pages 298 - 301
  3. Correlations of Europe-Specific Attitudes with Turnout No access Pages 301 - 304
1. European Parliament Elections No access Pages 305 - 307
2. Bundestag Elections No access Pages 307 - 312
3. Comparisons of Different Electoral Levels No access Pages 312 - 324
Does the Decline Matter? No access Pages 325 - 336
Appendix No access Pages 337 - 346
References No access Pages 347 - 362