Political Knowledge and Perceptions of Minority Governments in Europe

• In Event: Governments, Electoral Systems and Voter Perceptions

Abstract

Minority governments have become increasingly common across Europe in recent years and now make up more than 35% of all governments in the European Union. A growing body of literature has looked at the stability and performance of minority governments. Meanwhile, we know very little about how voters perceive this government configuration and whether they understand its political implications. We ask respondents in Denmark, Germany, and Sweden, three European countries with varying degrees of exposure to minority governments, about their knowledge and evaluation of minority governments. Using a survey experiment, we study whether negative perceptions of minority governments are due to ignorance, misunderstandings or actual beliefs. The findings contribute to our understanding of voters’ political sophistication and have implications for research on government formation, voting theory, and public opinion.

Authors

• Jens Wäckerle, University of Cologne

• Sven-Oliver Proksch, University of Cologne