MODELLING TURNOUT Empirically testing theories of election turnout with the Dutch parliamentary elections of 2021

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2022-06-24

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en

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Much theoretical and empirical research has been done to determine why people turn out to vote. However, there is still no core model of election turnout and no variables are omnipresent in research on election turnout. In this thesis, five of six theoretical models described by Smets and Van Ham (2013) will be tested with data on the Dutch parliamentary elections of 2021, to determine which of these models explain turnout best. Then, variables in these models are redistributed to achieve a typology of voters, in order to see if such a typology is successful or even better at explaining turnout. Findings suggest that the theoretical models form a good way of clustering empirical variables that explain election turnout. Redistributing the variables into a typology of voters also has a potential for explaining turnout well. Evidence also suggests that mobilization efforts and feelings of representation might be more prevalent for explaining election turnout than previously thought. The findings seek to provide inspiration for ways in which empirical research on election turnout might more clearly be embedded in potential theoretical models. Key concepts: Election turnout, Voting, Participation, Mobilization, Typology of voters

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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen

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