Differential Abstention in a Spain with Autonomies. Significant Traits and Explanatory Mechanisms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3989/ris.2010.10.07Keywords:
Autonomous Identification, Fiscal Decentralization, Permissiveness of the electoral system, Regional Elections, TurnoutAbstract
The implementation of the model of territorial organization established by the Spanish Constitution of 1978 involves the creation of non state-wide institutions with legislative powers, and the celebration of regional elections in order to decide the composition of the autonomous parliaments. The turnout registered in this type of contests is persistently and generally lower than in general elections. Those citizens that participate in the general but not in the regional elections are known as differential non-voters. Despite this pattern of non-voting is repeated election after election in all the communities, its magnitude and consequences differ in each case. In this paper, the causes of this variation are explored by using aggregated data of turnout in both types of elections across regions and over time. Results from the specified econometric models seem to point out the need to resort to several socio-demographic, political and institutional factors to explain differential abstention in the decentralized Spain.
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