Safronov V.V. Korruptsiya i klassovyye neravenstva elektoral’nogo uchastiya v yevropeyskikh stranakh [Corruption and class inequalities in electoral participation in European countries]. Vlast’ i elity [Power and Elites], 2023, 10 (1): 5–42. (In Russian)

Òåêñò ñòàòüè íà ñàéòå æóðíàëà URL: http://socinst.ru/publications/powerelites/tom10-1/ (äàòà îáðàùåíèÿ 28.12.2023)

Abstract

Ĵe roblem of inequalities in electoral participation in the countries  of Western and Central­Eastern Europe is considered. According to research, voters  from the upper and middle classes are noticeably more active in parliamentary  elections than representatives of the working class. However, it remains unclear  why such inequalities are more pronounced in some countries and less so in others.  To clarify this question, the data of representative surveys conducted under the  European Social Survey project (ESS 2018, for Russia — 2016) in 28 countries  were analyzed, as well as information on how democracy works in them. Two­level  modeling made it possible to conrm that in all European countries, participation  in parliamentary elections is stratied by class — it noticeably decreases when  moving from the upper and middle to the working classes. Such inequalities were  signicantly larger in some countries and smaller in others. Ĵey turned out to be  especially distinct in Western Europe — in countries distinguished by working  democratic institutions and low corruption. As the quality of democratic  governance declines and as corrupt practices spread, as in post­communist  countries, there is a general decrease in turnout and a reduction in class inequalities  caused by the reluctance of voters from the upper and middle classes to participate  in voting. The roblem of inequalities in electoral participation in the countries of Western and Central­Eastern Europe is considered. According to research, voters from the upper and middle classes are noticeably more active in parliamentary elections than representatives of the working class. However, it remains unclear why such inequalities are more pronounced in some countries and less so in others. To clarify this question, the data of representative surveys conducted under the European Social Survey project (ESS 2018, for Russia — 2016) in 28 countries were analyzed, as well as information on how democracy works in them. Two­level modeling made it possible to conrm that in all European countries, participation in parliamentary elections is stratied by class — it noticeably decreases when moving from the upper and middle to the working classes. Such inequalities were signicantly larger in some countries and smaller in others. Ĵey turned out to be especially distinct in Western Europe — in countries distinguished by working democratic institutions and low corruption. As the quality of democratic governance declines and as corrupt practices spread, as in post­communist countries, there is a general decrease in turnout and a reduction in class inequalities caused by the reluctance of voters from the upper and middle classes to participate in voting.