A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis of how corruption, education, inequality and trust in parliament affect voter-turnout

Abstract

This article empirically examines whether corruption, education, inequality, and trust in parliament affect voter turnout in countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Specifically, fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis is used to determine whether these factors (individually or in combination) are necessary or sufficient conditions for high or low voter turnout. To date, this method has never been applied to the study of voter turnout and this study attempts to fill this gap. The main conclusion is that corruption harms democracy by lowering voter turnout. The analysis also provides evidence that trust in parliament affects political participation and that the persistence of low educational attainment in a country, together with high inequality, is a sufficient condition for low turnout. Overall, the results suggest the importance of fighting corruption for citizen participation in democracy. They also show that measures to increase turnout should combine improvements in democratic institutions, education, and distributive justice.