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Does Globalization Make a Difference?

Objective

This research project takes advantage of a unique dataset, the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES) to investigate mass attitudes and perceptions about the implications of globalization for democracy. The CSES incorporates macro- and micro-level data from, currently, 37 countries, 62 elections, and over 100,000 respondents, between 1996 until the present and beyond, as fieldwork is continuing. The research addresses the following questions. Across a wide range of forty or more democratic nations, does the extent to which their economies and polities are ‘globalized’ affect public attitudes and political behaviour? Are citizens in the most globalized nations more likely to perceive that neither voting nor their ultimate choice of political leaders can ‘make a difference’? Do those citizens perceive significant differences between political parties? Do such perceptions lead citizens in globalized societies to be less likely to turn out to vote, less likely to seek to dismiss or change incumbent governments, and less likely to hold governments to account for their economic performances? And meanwhile, do citizens in less globalized countries perceive more reasons to vote, more difference between political parties, and see themselves better able to control their governments and their policies? The main methods will be quantitative, but they will be supplemented by qualitative analysis of critical cases, particularly of outliers. Part of the research will also analyse the discourses of globalization, both popular and academic, and their implications for mass expectations of political leaders under conditions of globalization. Current indices of globalization will be reviewed and enhanced, particularly for political globalization, which needs more development. Two indicators of economic globalization, trade dependence and international financial integration, will define two of the key independent variables.

Call for proposal

FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-3-IRG
See other projects for this call

Coordinator

THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
EU contribution
€ 100 000,00
Address
THE QUEEN'S DRIVE NORTHCOTE HOUSE
EX4 4QJ Exeter
United Kingdom

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Region
South West (England) Devon Devon CC
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Administrative Contact
Enda Clarke (Dr.)
Links
Total cost
No data